Weekend At Bubbles'
by icekings
Summary: A black comedy in which something shocking happens to Bubbles.
1.

**WEEKEND AT BUBBLES'**

  


A 'black comedy' by Gary Curtis (Icekings2000)

  
  


Powerpuff Girls created by Craig McCracken and all related characters owned by Cartoon Network

  
  
  
  


**CHAPTER ONE**

  
  


The weekend started out like any other. The Powerpuff Girls sleepily got out of bed and began the routine of getting ready for the day. Luckily it was Saturday and there was no school, because things would have been even worse. School would have to be dealt with but not until Monday, and it would give the Girls a chance to adjust to the thing that was about to happen. Bubbles was about to develop a teensy weensy little problem.

She was very tired so she told Blossom and Buttercup to go ahead, and let her sleep. She swore she hadn't even shut her eyes when Buttercup was yelling at her to move her butt, and Blossom was shaking her.

"Come on, Bubbles!" Buttercup complained. "It's my turn to make breakfast but I'm not making it twice!"

"Gowayiwannasleeps'more." was the answer Blossom got to her shaking. She gave up.

"Fine, Bubbles, waste a beautiful morning like this if you want. Come on, Buttercup!"

The two sisters left the room. Before heading downstairs, they peeked in on Professor Utonium. He had been working late, as usual, and appeared to be dead to the world. The thing he had been working on was what would lead to Bubbles' troubles in the next few minutes.

The sleepy little girl finally threw the covers back and the bright sunlight hit her full in the face. It hurt, so she covered her eyes with her hands and kept them there as she floated out of bed and toward the bathroom. Naturally, this caused a little difficulty in seeing, and she flew straight into the wall. That left her a bit groggy, not to mention grumpy, and she was slightly off-target in finding the bathroom doorway. She banged her head against the doorframe, backed up, and this time made it inside. Her mood worsened by the moment.

She grabbed her toothbrush and picked up the tube of toothpaste. It was flattened and curled up.

"Stupid Blossom!"

Blossom insisted on squeezing every last drop out of the tube, so as to not be wasteful. There was probably a smidgen left in there, but she was definitely NOT in the mood. The heck with it, her teeth wouldn't fall out if she skipped it just this once. She really didn't like starting out the day this upset, and decided a little music would help cheer her up while she dressed. She reached for and picked up the little waterproof radio sitting on the edge of the bathtub. But one of her sisters had left soap on it, and it slipped right out of her hand and bounced off the sink. The back opened up and the batteries fell out as everything hit the floor. One of the batteries ended up behind the toilet and she had to get down on her knees to reach it. When she stood up, she hit her head on the doorknob of the bathroom door. Of course, her luck held, and she dropped the batteries right into the toilet bowl.

"Oh, POOH!!!!

She wasn't about to fish them out so she slammed the handle and sent them on their way to somewhere deep below Townsville, and stormed into the bedroom to get their CD player. She was determined to get her music. She should have known better, but she wasn't thinking clearly at the moment. She plugged it in, popped in her favorite CD of 'Blarney the Singing Sea Serpent' tunes, and rested it on the edge of the tub. She ran water into the sink and was about to pull her nightie up over her head when she heard a splash and suddenly Blarney was singing under water.

"Aaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!" she screamed in frustration. One of the girls, Buttercup probably, forgot to empty the bathtub. As she reached in to get the player out of the water, she was telling herself she should unplug it first. But she was a Powerpuff and had been zapped hundreds of times by monsters with far more juice than plain old house current, and she expected nothing more than a tickle. Boy, was she in for a surprise.

What she didn't know about was what Professor had been up so late working on the night before. His previous experiment to turn apples into oranges had gone haywire and turned everyone in Townsville into someone else. Bubbles and Mayor had switched bodies, then she got turned into a cute little caterpillar, which was fun until ol' lard-butt Mojo almost squashed her. All that happened because Professor had shorted something out. Determined never to have that happen again, he devised a way to run ordinary house current into a massive grid that could generate and store all the power he would ever need for any experiment. It was able to do so without causing a drain on the Townsville power supply; don't ask me how because I'm no scientist. And with a simple flick of a switch, that electricity could feed back into the electrical system of the house, and back out into Townsville if needed; which was a great back-up if a lightning storm ever knocked things out. What caused Bubbles' troubles was that Professor was up so late and was so tired he forgot to close the switch before going to bed. And when Bubbles grabbed the CD player out of the water, there was nothing to stop all that stored-up juice. If it had been direct current, it would have probably done nothing more than blow her through the roof. Heck, she'd done that on her own plenty of times. But the electricity was converted into the standard alternating current that all homes use, and she couldn't let go. With her in the way, the power couldn't flow out into the town, it all went right through her, back and forth. The bands holding her pigtails popped off and her blonde hair frizzed out in all directions. She was stuck there holding the player until the fail-safe system that Professor had built into the house wiring sensed the wires getting hot and tripped a circuit breaker. She fell to the floor and the system, sensing an end to the problem, fed electricity into the wires normally once again.

  


* * * * * * *

  


Down in the kitchen, Blossom was just about to open her mouth to ask what was taking Bubbles so long. Suddenly, the lights blinked out for a second, then back on. They heard a loud 'thud' coming from upstairs.

"What the heck was that?" Buttercup said, dropping her forkful of scrambled eggs.

They hurried upstairs, not knowing if it came from their room or Professor's. But when the smoke alarm started beeping, they knew. They flew into their room and saw a bit of smoke curling out of the bathroom.

"Bubbles!" Blossom hissed. "What are you doing?!"

They dashed in there and Buttercup smacked the alarm into silence. They wanted to deal with whatever their sister had done by themselves. If Professor woke up, came in and saw a big mess, their weekend might be over before it started.

"Man, it STINKS in here!" Buttercup griped.

Blossom waved away smoke. "Bubbles, what did you- Ohhhhhhh!!! Bubbles!!!!"

Bubbles' eyes stared up at them, wide open, from where she lay on the floor. About the top third of each hair on her head was singed black, and that's where the smoke came from. The hairs were all sticking out straight. Except for a small burn on her left hand and that she seemed rather pale, she looked otherwise all right. They looked around and saw the melted CD player on the floor, still plugged in. Buttercup yanked the cord out and looked inside at what little was left.

"Aw, Bubbles, it had to be Blarney, didn't it? You dummy!"

Blossom picked up where Buttercup left off. "Bubbles, are you stupid or something? Now get up and finish getting- Bubbles?"

She hadn't flinched, twitched or batted either eyelash (both of which were slightly singed, too).

"Buttercup, she's not moving!"

"Duh! That's what happens when you pass out!"

"No! Look! When did you ever see anyone sleeping with their eyes wide open?!"

"Oh, no!"

They both dropped to the floor. Blossom started slapping Bubbles' face and Buttercup picked up one arm and felt it.

"Come on, Bubbles, wake up!"

"Blossom, I'm not getting a pulse!"

"Duh! That's 'cause I'm DEAD, you doo-doo heads! An' it's all your fault!"

"W-wh-who s-said that?" Blossom squeaked. She hadn't seen Bubbles' mouth move. Buttercup dropped her sister's arm and jumped back.

"B-B-Buh-B-B-B-Bubbles?"

"Up here, you dorks!"

The two petrified girls looked up to where they thought the voice came from. They saw their very angry sister floating near the ceiling, looking like she never had before. She was a very pale blue from the top of her head down to her bare, toeless feet, and they could see right through her. She was dressed in an eerie, transparent version of the nightie that she had been wearing when the accident occurred.

Buttercup groaned. "This isn't happening. Tell me this isn't happening."

Blossom was a little less subdued. "Bubbles! This is no time to be fooling around! Get down from there and get back inside your body right this minute!"

"I can't!" she screamed. "I already tried!"

Buttercup pointed up at her. "Hey, why is it our fault?"

"You and your stupid savin' on toothpaste got me mad, Blossom, and then everything went wrong when I tried to get cheered up by listenin' to Blarney and he fell in the tub and I got fried 'cause you left the bathtub full, Buttercup!"

Blossom shifted her feet nervously. "Uh, that was me, too. I thought we could save by using the bathwater over."

"Well, gee, Bubbles, it's stupid to go stickin' your hand in the water while the thing was still plugged in!" Buttercup said, attempting to defend Blossom.

"Yeah, but I didn't know it was gonna do that! It never happened before!" Bubbles complained.

"She's right, Buttercup." Blossom said. "Remember when she used to go around licking the outlets 'cause it tickled her tongue? Plain old house current shouldn'ta done this!"

"Who cares? Look what she did to Blarney! Bubbles, I'm gonna kick your butt!" Buttercup zipped up to where her ghost-like sister was.

"Over my dead body!" Bubbles challenged, and the two girls swung their fists at each other. Both connected, but their faces registered surprise when Buttercup's fist passed right on through and put a hole in the wall. Bubbles' fist sailed into Buttercup's stomach and came out through her back. They dropped their arms and stared at each other.

"Girls!" Blossom shouted at them to stop, then looked on in amazement. "Girls? Bubbles, this is crazy! You CAN'T be a ghost!"

Buttercup and Bubbles floated down to Blossom and the three looked into the mirror. All they could see were Blossom and Buttercup.

"Whoa!" Buttercup said. "WE can see YOU, but not your REFLECTION!"

"Me neither!" Bubbles said, beginning to cry tearlessly.

"Aw, don't cry!" The two girls tried to comfort Bubbles by hugging her, but passed right through and banged heads.

"Ow!" Blossom cried, rubbing her forehead. "I guess you really ARE a ghost, Bubbles!"

"Man, what are we gonna tell Professor?" Buttercup wondered.

"He's gonna kill me when he finds out!" Bubbles whined.

"Bubbles, this is no time to be funny!" Blossom scolded her.

"I'm not! Girls, we can't go tell Professor with me lookin' like that. You gotta fix my hair!"

"Yeah, we'll get you all fixed up, Bubbles. I can't believe this!" Blossom shook her head.

"I guess I got the living daylights shocked outta me!" Bubbles said.

Buttercup bent down and started to pick her sister up off the floor. She made a face. "Whew, that's not all! We're gonna have to give you a bath, too!"

  


**End of Chapter One**


	2. 

**WEEKEND AT BUBBLES'**

  


A 'black comedy' by Gary Curtis (Icekings2000)

  
  


Powerpuff Girls created by Craig McCracken and all related characters owned by Cartoon Network

  
  
  
  


**CHAPTER TWO**

  
  


While her sisters attended to cleaning her up (She wanted to know if she was getting 'rigatoni' yet and Blossom had to correct her. "It's rigor mortis, Bubbles, not rigatoni!", and yes, she was.), Bubbles tried out her new superpower. She could fly through the walls, floors and ceiling without leaving a hole. But it upset her that she had lost most of her old ones. Her lasers didn't work. She could punch and kick but nothing happened. She waited to try out her sonic yell because she didn't want to wake Professor up just yet. They still had to figure out how they were going to explain this one to him. She did stop by his room, though, and saw he was still peacefully snoring away. She almost gave him a kiss on the cheek but if he woke up and saw her he might be afraid, so she went back to the bathroom, taking a shortcut through the walls.

"Hi, Girls, I'm back!" Bubbles exclaimed as she zipped into the bathroom through the closed door.

Her sisters practically jumped out of their skins and they let go of her former self. Bubbles watched herself topple backward and almost fall into the tub before they recovered and grabbed her arms.

"Geez, Bubbles, don't scare us like that!" Blossom scolded.

"Sorry."

"We're gonna hafta find some way for you to let us know you're coming."

"Wow, Bubbles, you can go through walls without breakin' 'em! You lucky stiff!" Buttercup said.

"I'm a ghost. I do that." Bubbles said with a smug smile.

Her sisters stepped back from the sink and Buttercup pointed. "Well, kid, whaddaya think?"

They had her propped up against the sink, where she stood stiffly. She was clad in her usual dress, tights and shoes. They weren't able to close her eyes, which stared in amazement at nothing, or her mouth, which formed a perfect 'O'. Her skin and eyes had both gone very pale and it wouldn't take someone long to see that she definitely had a problem. Bubbles looked at the job they'd done on her. She wasn't too happy.

"My pigtails are too small!"

They were extremely small, but there was enough hair left after the burnt ends were trimmed away to make her 'do look normal otherwise.

"Well, you didn't leave us a whole lot to work with." Buttercup told her.

"Don't worry, Bubbles, your hair keeps growing after you're dead, so it'll be back to normal pretty soon." Blossom added.

"Oh. Well, couldn't you at least get my mouth closed?"

"Bubbles, if dying can't shut your mouth, nothing can!" Buttercup joked. Bubbles stuck out her tongue and made a raspberry.

"OK, now what?" Blossom asked.

"Where can we hide you until we talk to Professor?" Buttercup wondered. "I bet he doesn't even notice right away!"

"Hey!" Bubbles pouted.

"Will you two knock it off? I'm trying to think!" Blossom grouched. "We can't hide her, Buttercup, we have to tell him right away! The sooner he knows, Bubbles, the better chance he has to fix you."

"Oh, man, he's gonna be mad."

"I know, Buttercup, but we don't have a choice. We'll just leave you on the bed for now, Bubbles. Come on, let's go wake him up and get this over with!"

Bubbles floated out ahead of her sisters. Buttercup picked up her earthly form and carried her out, but not without banging her head on the side of the doorframe.

"Ow! Watch it!" Bubbles cried.

"You felt that?" Blossom asked in surprise.

"No," Bubbles said, pointing at herself as Buttercup laid her on her back. "But I did only I can't talk so I had to say it for me!"

"Oh, brother!" Buttercup griped as they all headed out. "You know what the worst part of this is, Bubbles? Now you can't help us fight crime anymore!"

"Oh yeah? I'll just fly up to the bad guys and say 'Boo!' Hee hee hee!"

  


* * * * * * *

  


Bubbles floated above Professor while Blossom and Buttercup tried waking him by shaking him. All three demanded he get up right that minute, but he grunted and groaned and pulled the blanket over his head. Hey, you would too if you spent the time he did in the lab. Finally he pushed the blanket back and started to sit up. He peered at the clock on the night stand.

"Eight-thirty? Please, Girls, can't I have a little more shut-eye?" he whined, and laid his head back on the pillow.

"No, Professor, you gotta get up now!" Bubbles pleaded.

But he wasn't listening. His eyes closed again. Frustrated, Buttercup reached over to the reading light that was clipped to the headboard, aimed the shade right at his face and flipped the switch.

"GAAHHH!!" He jumped up, shielding himself from the bright light that suddenly flooded through his closed eyelids. "Girls, what do you want?!" he asked crossly. He pushed the shade away.

"Professor," Blossom said, pulling on his arm, "Bubbles has something to tell you."

"Yeah, she did something REALLY stupid this time!" Buttercup smirked.

"I did not!"

"Oh, dear, what now?" he said, opening his bleary eyes a bit wider.

"It wasn't my fault, Professor!"

Blossom crossed her arms and looked at Bubbles, who was still floating above them. "Go ahead, Bubbles. Tell him."

Bubbles nervously hemmed and hawed, but then began her recount of the events. Professor's stubble-covered face took on a peeved look, and he cut Bubbles off.

"Girls! I was up late and I'm really tired. I don't have time for this foolishness!"

Buttercup protested, "But Professor, Bubbles is tryin' to explain-"

"Bubbles? All I see are two Girls who are in a lot of trouble if they don't let me get some sleep!" he thundered.

Blossom and Buttercup blinked at each other and stared up at Bubbles, who looked horrified.

"Uh, oh." they said. Bubbles flew down from above him, next to her sisters, and frantically waved her arms in front of his face.

"Professor?! Can't you hear me? Can't you see me?! Oh no!"

Ghostly tears poured from Bubbles' eyes and landed on nothing. Her sisters gave him sheepish grins and side-stepped away from the bedside, then tore out of the room.

"Sorry, Professor!" Buttercup called out. Blossom added, "Go back to sleep!"

A very upset Bubbles disappeared through the wall of his room.

  


* * * * * * *

  


Bubbles was literally beside herself, or should I say, above and slightly to the left of her body on the bed. She had made it back to the room first and her sisters rushed to console her, banging into each other again in the process as they sailed on through.

"Ow, we've got to remember to stop doing that!" Buttercup said, rubbing her head.

"He can't see me!!" Bubbles wailed.

"I know, Bubbles, but how come we can?" Blossom wondered. "This is weird!"

Buttercup frowned. "Yeah, well what do we do now? If he can't see you, Bubbles, he's NEVER gonna believe us even if we could wake him up!"

"I got an idea! Let's go ask HIM!" Bubbles said brightly.

Blossom thought about that for a second and said, "You know, Bubbles, that's not a bad idea! If he was behind this, he'd be laughing in our faces right about now!"

"Hey yeah! If he doesn't know, maybe he'll help us!" Buttercup agreed.

"Exactly!" Bubbles exclaimed. "He can't destroy me if I'm already destroyed!"

"Let's roll!"

  


* * * * * * *

  


Professor shook his head and laid back down, grumbling to himself. His eyes looked upward and he frowned. The reading light was still on.

"Oh, darn it. I forgot to turn off the switch!".

He raised his right arm, fumbled to find it, flicked the light off, and dropped his arm. He closed his eyes and sighed happily. Peace and quiet once more. Seconds later his eyes flew open and he sat up.

"Oh my gosh! I forgot to turn off the switch!!"

He sprang from the bed and stepped into his slippers, then ran downstairs to the laboratory. The conversation ran back through his head, over and over. _"Bubbles has something to tell you."_

_"Yeah, she did something REALLY stupid this time!"_

_"Go ahead, Bubbles. Tell him."_

_"But Professor, Bubbles is tryin' to explain-"_

_"Bubbles? All I see are two Girls who are in a lot of trouble if they don't let me get some sleep!"_

Like all three of them were there in the room with him. He raced into the lab, and sure enough, the 'outflow' switch on his super-generator was in the 'open' position. The power level indicators on each of the series of cylinder-like fuel cells read zero. They were totally drained of the huge supply of electricity he'd built up in them. If one of the Girls had done something..._"REALLY stupid"_, Buttercup had said.

"Bubbles!!!"

He turned and ran, back up the steps from the lab and up to the Girls' room as fast as he could. Fear wasn't the only thing causing his heart to pound madly. There was also the growing thrill of imminent scientific discovery. He was almost certain of what he was going to find. He tore into the room and straight into the bathroom, because that's where he expected to see her. He saw the bathtub full of water, the ruined CD player, the burnt hair clippings. The lingering acrid smell of singed hair and flesh was in the air. He saw a fist-sized hole in the wall near the ceiling that made no sense at all.

What he saw told him everything he suspected except where she was. He hurried out of the bathroom, and that's when he saw her. He cautiously approached the bed, saw the pale skin and the wide-open eyes.

"Bubbles?" He touched her face. She was ice cold. He saw the burn mark on her left hand. The clippings of uniform length on the bathroom floor and her now neat but short hair told him that she hadn't been the one to do it. The scene in his bedroom played itself out in his mind once more, and he tied it all in with what he knew regarding forces of energy. He was on the verge of having proof of one of his major theories concerning the Girls' creation.

Had they been in the room at the moment, the Girls would not have been pleased by what happened next. Especially Bubbles.

"Oh, Bubbles, this is WONDERFUL!"

He scooped her empty shell off the bed and into his arms. She was still stiff as a board as he held her out at arms' length and spun around the room with her in a waltz. The wide eyes and open mouth silently looked back at him.

"Oh, honey, this is INCREDIBLE! You're going to make scientific history!"

He drew her close in a hug and held her out again.

"You're going to be the first person in history to come back from the dead!"

He tucked her sideways under one arm and started to leave the room. He stopped, looked up and grinned sheepishly.

"Ooops, sorry! Make that the second!"

  


**End of Chapter Two**


	3. 

**WEEKEND AT BUBBLES'**

  


A 'black comedy' by Gary Curtis (Icekings2000)

  
  


Powerpuff Girls created by Craig McCracken and all related characters owned by Cartoon Network

  
  
  
  


**CHAPTER THREE**

  
  


"Wait here, Bubbles; let us go in first, just in case!" Blossom whispered, just outside the secret passageway to Him's lair, down in the bowels of the earth. They knew its location well, they had been there a number of times.

"Okay." Bubbles answered, "Just tell me when to come in."

Her sisters zoomed down through the darkness, feeling the increasing warmth. They crashed into Him's living room and looked around. He was nowhere to be seen and his magical TV set, with which he did his evil surveyance of things topside, was turned off. Buttercup heard splashing.

"Oh great, he's taking another bath!"

"Let's surprise him. Maybe he'll drop something 'lectrical in the water if we're lucky!" Blossom grinned.

They followed the sounds back through a darkened hallway, then burst into the room the demon's voice was coming from. He didn't seem at all surprised to see them.

"Well, what brings you out so early on a Saturday?" he asked in his oily, somewhat feminine voice.

"We wanted to ask you a question." Blossom answered.

He smiled. "Fair enough. But I'll ask you one first." His voice changed to his evil, dark shriek. "DON"T YOU TWO BELIEVE IN KNOCKING??!!!"

He calmed down. "It's terribly rude to barge in on someone like that! By the way, where is Bubbles?"

"Uh, that's what we're here to talk about." Blossom said.

Buttercup gave him a sly grin and said, "How would you like to destroy her?"

"What? Destroy poor sweet Bubbles? What a delightful idea!" His voice changed again and he narrowed his eyes. "What is this, some kind of a trick?!"

"No, you don't understand." Blossom said. "We never said you COULD, we only asked if you WANTED to."

"And if you want to, you're gonna have to help us, or you'll never get the chance!"

"HELP you? Why would I do that?" One claw came up from the murky, foul-looking bathwater, holding a rubber duck that Him called Mr. Quackers and spoke to for inspiration. "Do YOU know what they're talking about, Mr. Quackers?"

He gave the duck a squeak. "He doesn't know either. And just why won't I get the chance to destroy Bubbles, or any one of you three brats at my whim?"

Blossom clasped her hands together in front of her, and appeared almost as if she were asking a favor. "Well, you see... she's kinda...uh, dead."

"WHAAAT??!!"

"Yeah, and if you don't help us figure out how to get her back then you can't destroy her later, so there!" Buttercup stuck out her tongue at him.

"Girls, Girls, Girls...!" he chuckled. "I am the MASTER of head games! Just who do you think you're fooling with here, hmmmmm?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay, we tried. Come on, Buttercup."

Blossom whispered an aside to her sister as they left the bathroom. "It'll give Him a chance to get dressed!"

"Good idea! Yecchh! What IS that stuff he takes a bath in, anyway? And you guys think I'M bad!"

They got back to the living room and shouted in unison at the top of their lungs. "Bubbles!"

Somewhat angered at the idea of the Powerpuffs toying with him, but quite intrigued with it at the same time, the demon rose out of the evil waters, waved one of his claws, was enveloped in a burst of flame and reappeared from the flames completely dressed. He walked out into his living room and spotted a smiling Bubbles floating between her sisters. Only it wasn't her.

The Girls watched in amazement as Him's eyeballs popped out of their sockets a good two feet and his curled beard unrolled, out straight like a party favor.

"A G-G-G-GHHOSST!!!!!!" the demon shrieked, in the exact manner of the adults in the old Casper cartoons. He ran smack through one wall of his living room and disappeared, leaving behind perfect claw-shapes attached to the shape of the rest of his body, as a giant hole.

Blossom smacked her forehead with her palm. "Geez, Louise!"

Buttercup doubled over, laughing. "Ha ha haaaaaa!! What a wuss!!!!"

Bubbles laughed too, and said happily, "Hey! I scared the Heck out of HIM!!"

"Yeah, I know, but I was hoping he could help us!" Blossom said, disappointed. Then, in defiance of the laws of physics, she made a snapping sound come from her fingerless hand. "Hey! Wait a minute! He must have a little red book lying around somewhere! Let's go over his head!"

Bubbles giggled and pointed to the floor. "Hee hee! Don't you mean UNDER his head?"

They all enjoyed a good laugh over that one.

  


* * * * * * *

  


"Spread and search, Girls!"

Blossom and Buttercup went back past the bathroom and each went a different direction. Bubbles floated by the bathroom door and peeked in. She heard a squeak, and, surprised, stopped and went inside. Not seeing Bubbles joining them in the search, her sisters both turned to go back and heard it at the same time. They gaped at each other and met at the bathroom door. Bubbles was looking at the rubber duck floating in the water and she was making squeaking noises.

"Bubbles! We don't have time to play!" Blossom scolded her.

The duck squeaked three times. Blossom and Buttercup nearly became ghosts themselves and grabbed one another.

"It talked!" they squealed.

Bubbles smiled at them, then looked back at the toy and squeaked some more, and got another answer.

Buttercup recovered sufficiently to say, "I can't believe you're actually having a conversation with a toy!"

"He's NOT a toy! His name is Mr. Quackers!" Bubbles frowned back at her. "I 'pologized for scarin' Him away, an' Mr. Quackers thinks it's funny!"

The duck squeaked three more times.

"He says Him will be OK when he finds out the bathtub did this to me. But I didn't get the part about an iron tastin' good."

The duck squeaked again.

"Oh, he said Him would find the irony delicious. Whatever that means."

Blossom grinned. "Yeah, he would. Mr. Duck sir, could you tell us where Him keeps his phone?"

The duck squeaked again and Bubbles thanked it and said goodbye. She flew ahead of her sisters and pointed the way.

"Down here, second door on the left. He said we don't need any book, just pick it-ULP?!!"

They stood in amazement.

"Whoa! Now THAT'S what I call a HOTLINE!" Buttercup exclaimed.

They were floating in a small room. The walls were painted the color of Blossom's eyes and there was a desk and chair. Floating inches above the desk was a mass of flame, in the perfect shape of a telephone. On the wall to one side of the desk was a dartboard with their likenesses on it, stuck full of darts.

"I think this is what we're lookin' for, guys. The direct line." Blossom said in a hushed voice. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

But they had come this far and figured this was the best chance they had at getting some help. Blossom gingerly reached for the receiver and pulled her hand back sharply.

"It's too hot!"

Bubbles tried to pick it up and they were all surprised that she could. She held it up to her, but then pushed it away as an evil scream ten time worse than Him's barked out of it. Her ghostly pig-tails flew out to the sides.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO NEVER CALL ME HERE!"

They all jumped back. Bubbles was too afraid, so she held the phone out for Blossom to do the talking.

"W-w-who is t-this?"

"WHO IS THIS?!!"

It was no problem for any of them to hear. Buttercup held onto Blossom, their teeth chattering.

"B-B-Blossom."

"BLOSSOM?! OF THE POWERPUFF GIRLS?!"

"Y-you know who we are?"

"OF COURSE I DO! THAT SNIVELING LITTLE TWIT WON"T SHUT UP ABOUT YOU THREE!!! I"M SICK OF HEARING ABOUT YOU!! HEY, WHERE IS THAT IDIOT, ANYWAY? WHAT ARE YOU DOING USING THIS PHONE?!!"

Blossom explained how and why they came to be there. An evil, screeching laughter came through the receiver. They stared at it until the voice came through again, this time in a more conversational tone.

"Oh, you actually thought that Him could help you! You've made my day! Why do you think he spends so much time obsessing about you three? Because he's afraid of ghosts! Imagine that, a demon afraid of ghosts! He's really not cut out for this line of work."

The girls laughed and their fear melted away.

"Can you help us?" Blossom asked.

"That depends. How long ago did this all happen?"

Blossom looked at her watch. "Oh, about two hours ago."

"Two HOURS? Something's not right. Bubbles should have been here before now, but she's still there with you....hold on for a second...."

The girls looked at each other, horrified, while they heard rustling noises through the phone. The voice came back.

"No, this is DEFINITELY wrong, it says here that you three aren't supposed to show up until two thousand and ...oh, wait, you don't need to know that, it'll spoil the fun."

"You mean we're goin' to HECK?!" Bubbles wailed. Her sisters looked no less upset by the news.

"Well of COURSE you are, you silly girls! EVERYONE stops by here on their way to that other place I won't talk about. Even the one whose name I can't mention stayed with us one night. How long you stay is entirely up to you. That's Him's real job, to encourage you mortals to lengthen your stay with us! It's a wonderful place, really. It's NEVER cold and we've got LOTS of fun things to do to you, er, for you to do! But to answer your question, Blossom, no, I can't help you."

"Awwwwwww," the three of them groaned.

"Nope! You'll have to figure this out by yourselves. Tell that fool when you see him that I am NOT pleased. Now, you be sure and be bad little girls. Come see us at Motel 666 and we'll keep the fires burning for you! Ta ta!!"

Bubbles replaced the flaming receiver on the flaming cradle.

"I should've asked him who was gonna stay the longest."

"What are you looking at me for?" Buttercup frowned, seeing her sisters grinning at her.

"Well, now we know who WASN'T behind it." Blossom said. "I guess it's gonna have to be up to Professor to figure it out."

"I hope he didn't find me yet!" Bubbles worried.

Buttercup shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

Just as they were about to leave, Him returned to his lair. He looked startled to see them still there.

"I didn't mean to scare you like that, but Mr. Quackers told me you'd feel better."

"Well, Bubbles, you did startle me there, but I have to say it doesn't bother me at all to see you like that, now that I'm used to the idea! In fact, it makes me quite happy!"

"Oh, I wouldn't be so happy if I were you." Blossom smiled an evil smile. "Your boss isn't very happy with you!"

"WHAATT??!!

"Or maybe, your ex-boss?" Buttercup smirked at him, enjoying every second.

"He told us your REAL name! MUD! Bye!!" Bubbles waved.

Off they went, laughing, leaving behind a very worried-looking demon.

  


**End of Chapter Three**


	4. 

**WEEKEND AT BUBBLES'**

  


A 'black comedy' by Gary Curtis (Icekings2000)

  
  


Powerpuff Girls created by Craig McCracken and all related characters owned by Cartoon Network

  
  
  
  


**CHAPTER FOUR**

  
  


They let out a collective "Oh, no!" the second they returned to their bedroom.

"I'm gone!" Bubbles shouted.

"Professor found you! Oh, no!" Blossom cried, imagining the grief he must be feeling.

"We better get to the lab right now!" Buttercup said, and off they went.

When they got there, the door was shut. Bubbles floated right through and Blossom was about to open the door when Bubbles screamed. Her sisters burst through the door and saw their sister with a fearful look on her face, her hands up to her mouth. Professor sat, dejected, at his desk, holding his head in his hands. Bubbles' body sat on a beanbag chair, slumped over to one side, looking right at them. The stiffness had worn off. Aside from her pallor, she now looked like she was asleep, because her eyes and mouth were closed. Professor looked up at the sound of them entering. They froze at the sight of a pair of strange-looking goggles on his face.

"Oh, Girls, I'm so sorry!" he said in a choked voice. "I-I tried everything!"

"But Professor," they all said together, "you don't understand!"

"Yes, Girls, I do understand. I know exactly what happened."

He looked up. "Bubbles, I am so sorry. This is all my fault!"

They reacted with shock.

"Professor? You can SEE me?" Bubbles squealed.

"Professor, can you really see Bubbles?" Blossom asked in wonderment.

"Yes, Bubbles, I can see you."

It dawned on Buttercup first. "With them weird glasses! Where'd you get 'em?"

"Oh, Professor!" Bubbles screamed, and flew to him. She hugged him joyfully, then pulled back, gave him a stern look, and bonked him on the head, which he didn't feel, of course. "You dummy!"

"Bubbles, look right at me and speak slowly. I can see you but I can't hear you, I can only read your lips."

"OK." She went back to where she had been and began to repeat the entire sequence, including the flying and hugging, in slow motion, from "Oh, Professor!"

"Oh, brother! Bubbles, I think he already got that part!" Buttercup yelled.

"Oh. Sorry!"

"But Professor, how can this be happening?" Blossom cried.

"Have a seat, Girls, this may take awhile."

  


* * * * * * *

  


Blossom and Buttercup went to their room and brought their beanbag chairs down to the lab. Bubbles sat next to herself.

"Where'd you get them things, Professor?" Buttercup asked again, pointing at the strange eyewear.

"I won them in a poker game when I was in college, a long time ago. I forgot I had them. Mind if I take them off, Bubbles? They're tough on the old eyeballs after a while."

"But then you can't see me anymore!" she whined.

"I know you're here, that's what matters. Just don't get into anything, OK?"

"OK."

He took the glasses off. Bubbles floated up in front of him, waved her arms and asked if he could see her. She got no response, and looked back at her sisters.

"No, Bubbles, he can't see you." Blossom said.

Bubbles turned around to completely face them, and with a huge grin on her face, mooned Professor.

"Now we're even!"

"Bubbles!" Blossom shouted. Buttercup fell over on her side, laughing hysterically.

"Bubbles! What are you doing?" Professor asked sharply.

"Oh, she just got a little cheeky with you, that's all, Professor!" Blossom said. She couldn't help but laugh along with her sisters, it was pretty funny.

"That will be enough, Bubbles. Now sit down, so we can get started here."

He asked them to explain what had happened up to the point where they had tried to wake him up. After they finished, he began. He told them how his device was supposed to work, and exactly why it had done what it did to Bubbles. He explained how he had realized that Bubbles was actually with them when they tried waking him, and that's why he wasn't too worried when he later found her lying on the bed. He also told them that that moment was when he also realized his theory about their creation might be true.

"But why can we see and hear Bubbles when you can't, Professor?"

"Well, Blossom, that's part of the theory. Did you Girls ever wonder how it was that you were born knowing who you were?"

"I thought it was the Chemical X that did it!" Buttercup said.

"That's what gave you your powers and it's what gave me you three instead of the one girl I was expecting. But I really expected a baby I would have to raise, not fully developed children with a sense of purpose about themselves, although you did need a LOT of training. You see, Girls, I always believed that for whatever reason, you were together before I created you."

"What in re-in-tarnation are you talking about, Professor?" Buttercup frowned.

"Professor, are you sayin' that we might have lived before as something else?" Blossom asked.

"I don't know, Blossom, all of us may have even though we don't remember it. But I always suspected that if anything ever happened to you, you would still be together. That's what is happening right now. Your life forces, your energies, are tied to each others'. That's why Bubbles can be seen and heard by you two but no one else. My theory is that because this only happened to you, Bubbles, that connection between you three is what's keeping you here with us, honey. If something were to happen to all of you at the same time, you probably would be considered gone to the rest of the world. I would lose you, but you would still be together. But because your life force is still here, Bubbles, I believed I could restore it to your body. That was the second part of my theory."

"Believed? Was? You mean you can't?" Bubbles said anxiously. 

Blossom repeated Bubbles' concerns. Professor sighed. "I tried everything I could think of but nothing worked. But you're still here, so there has to be a way somehow."

"So why can you see her with them things?" Buttercup asked, pointing at the weird specs on his lap.

"These were designed to be able to visually detect geothermal energy fields. They're quite primitive, but the design did work. That's what you are, Bubbles, displaced energy, unable to be in either of the places you belong, back in your body or wherever it is you will go. To be precise, you are a Geothermal Holographic Obstruction of Space and Time. You're a GHOST."

"Duh!" she said. "We already knew that!"

Blossom was astounded. "No, Bubbles. Professor, I had no idea that the word ghost was really just an acronym!"

"Well, the word was around long before the acronym, but... these energy fields hang around because they have some unfulfilled purpose, usually that the person died before their time. But with their body gone, they have no place to go until that purpose is served and they can go to their final resting place."

"Well, Bubbles sure isn't ready for hers. Heck isn't expecting us for a long time yet!" Buttercup said.

"What?!"

After giving Buttercup an angry glare, Blossom recounted their trip to Him's lair.

"Well, that must have been very strange, but it reinforces my theory. You aren't going anywhere, Bubbles. But I don't know how to put you back."

"Can't you just give her some more Chemical X?" Blossom asked.

"There would have to be Chemical X in every cell of your body, Bubbles, but the electricity destroyed it. I tried injections, but that didn't spread the chemical evenly. I tried hooking you up to an IV and giving you the chemical that way, and having a heart pump and respirator spread it. You're full of Chemical X again, but that didn't work either. You've been out too long. There's a few other things I wanted to try, but there's some even bigger problems."

"What?"

"One, I had to take you off the machines to avoid organ damage. Two, I thought the Chemical X would act as a preservative, but it doesn't."

"OH!" Blossom cried. "You mean she's going to decay?"

Buttercup was horrified, but not as horrified as Bubbles. She couldn't get away from herself fast enough.

"Yes, Blossom. We're going to have to do something with you until I can think of something else, Bubbles."

"We got an even bigger problem, Professor!" Buttercup complained. "She can't help us fight anymore!"

"Yes she can!"

"I can? How?!" Bubbles flew up to him, all excited.

"How, Professor?!" her sisters shouted together.

He decided he'd better put the glasses back on. There was Bubbles, right in front of him.

"Do you remember that movie with Patrick Swayze?"

"Yeah!" they said.

"Well, Bubbles, you're going to have to do what he did."

"Huh? No way am I going inside Whoopi Goldberg!"

Her sisters broke up again.

"Hahahahahaha!! No, Bubbles!" he said, laughing. "You are energy. You have to learn how to channel it and learn to make things move. Remember that scene in the subway?"

"Hey, yeah!" they all said. Suddenly, Bubbles turned and disappeared through the wall of the lab.

"Bubbles, come back here!" Professor and Blossom shouted.

"Where the heck is she going?" Buttercup asked. "Hey, you don't think-"

"Uh, oh." Blossom said.

"Go get her, Girls! Hurry!"

As they took off to catch their sister before she started tossing trash cans in the subway, he shook his head.

"That girl takes things too literally!"

  


**End of Chapter Four**


	5. 

**WEEKEND AT BUBBLES'**

  


A 'black comedy' by Gary Curtis (Icekings2000)

  
  


Powerpuff Girls created by Craig McCracken and all related characters owned by Cartoon Network

  
  
  
  
  
  


**CHAPTER FIVE**

  
  


Bubbles floated in the empty grid of the Danger Room. Blossom and Buttercup watched her through the glass of the control room with anticipation while Professor, wearing the goggles, fiddled with the computer. He spoke to her through the microphone in the console.

"Now, Bubbles, concentrate on channeling all of your energy to the tips of your hands and feet. Don't hit your target directly or you'll go right through it."

"Yeah, Bubbles, sort of come at 'em sideways!" Buttercup encouraged her. "Like this!"

She did a spin move, kicking out one leg sideways, then brought her opposite arm back across her body in a side-swiping karate chop that smacked Blossom across the side of the head and knocked her to the floor. Bubbles giggled.

"Oooops! Sorry!" Buttercup apologized.

Blossom stood up, rubbing her head. "The mosquitoes are rather pesky this time of year, aren't they, Professor?" she said, grinning at her sister.

Buttercup grinned back. "Touche, Blossom. Okay, Bubbles, let's see you smoke this sucker!"

"I'm ready, Professor, an' don't give me no baby monster, neither!"

She was remembering to look at him when she spoke, and he was getting better at reading her lips.

"Well, honey, I think we should start you out with something-"

"NO!" she yelled. Her pale blue image tripled in size and then shrunk back to her normal proportions. Blossom and Buttercup could feel her anger come right through the walls into the room with them, in the form of an energy wave. The effect was rather frightening.

"Uh, okay..." Professor said, a bit nervously, doing some more adjusting.

"It shouldn't be THAT bad, Professor." Blossom said. "It can't hit what it can't see!"

An enormous red beast appeared in front of Bubbles on the holodeck. Its massive mouth opened, letting out a fearsome roar and displaying uneven rows of ugly, razor-like teeth. Three fingers on each hand showed off long, dagger-like nails that matched the much bigger ones on each of its three-toed feet. It had a long tail with a club-like end, covered with short, spiky points. Its huge head tapered to a mean-looking black spike at the top. It balefully glared at Bubbles with pale yellow eyeballs and sickly green-colored irises. It seemed to be looking directly at her.

"Right, Professor?" Blossom asked.

Without warning, the creature roared and backhanded Bubbles against the far wall of the Danger Room. She disappeared through it.

"Bubbles!" Blossom screamed. Professor held up a restraining hand.

"Professor, how did that happen? When I hit her, my fist went through her into the wall!" Buttercup asked.

_"So THAT'S how that hole got in the bathroom wall!"_ he thought. "Because even though she's a ghost, with her tensed up like she is, she's like a baseball."

"Wow! She got knocked right out of the park!"

"Don't worry. She should be sliding into home…right about...now!"

Bubbles popped through the wall, her face a mask of fury.

"You didn't want a little baby monster, Bubbles. I programmed it to be able to detect your energy. It can see you just fine."

"No problem!" she growled.

"Whoa!" Buttercup exclaimed. "A REAL monster won't be able to do that! If she beats this, she'll be able to beat anything! This is GREAT!"

"C'mon, Bubbles! You can do it!" Blossom yelled.

Bubbles angry face turned into a wicked sneer, and she flew, zigzagging, through the monster's legs. Just as she got between them, she shot out her left leg toward the creature's right knee. It struck a glancing blow and the monster roared with pain and looked down to try to find its attacker. She quickly came around from behind it, and with it still looking down, she gave it a series of quick chops and kicks. She learned quickly. Each thrust gave the beast pain and it backed away, holding up its huge hands. Now that she knew it could see her, she watched the eyes. She sailed around behind it, keeping low. It sent a punch sailing toward her that narrowly missed, and it left the beast off balance. Behind it, now, she gave it a sharp, glancing kick behind its already damaged right knee, and it started to buckle. Using both of her hands, she swiped them against the tip of the monster's tail, and it whipped around the beast's legs in a blur, with the spiked club smashing into the left knee. It was now immobilized and could only flail its arms as it roared in frustration. Bubbles now channeled all her energy to the outermost surfaces of her ghostly body, and she flew under the monster. With that hard outer shell of energy surrounding her, she was able to effortlessly lift the massive creature and slam it to the ground.

Her sisters stood, open-mouthed, watching her in action. With the beast finished, it winked out of existence and the bare grid of the Danger Room reappeared. They zipped down to congratulate her, forgot her transparent nature one more time, and were about to bang heads again when she held up her hands and stopped them. They both bounced off a few feet.

She beamed happily. She had done it! Her stunned sisters moved cautiously toward her and carefully embraced her this time. It was amazing, and wonderful. She could actually touch and feel them and they, her. It wasn't quite the same as flesh and blood, but better than the hollowness she was afraid she was stuck with until Professor could figure out a way to get her back.

They joyfully exchanged high-fives with one another.

"YAY!"

  


* * * * * * *

  


Professor gave them a group of strange-looking creatures that they could all fight together. All of them were programmed to be able to 'see' Bubbles. The Powerpuffs were a smashing success. If a call came in now, it was very likely that anything they faced would only be able to see two Powerpuff Girls. Bubbles could probably beat it all by herself. They were very pleased with themselves, and excited.

"Bubbles, you are awesome!" Buttercup enthused.

They looked up to see Professor smiling down at them. Bubbles smiled back at him.

"Well, until Professor can fix me, I don't have a problem bein' a ghost, bustin' bad guys!"

Professor's eyes flew open upon hearing those words, and he started to dash out of the control room. He raced for the lab.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe I forgot to call! Girls! Don't go anywhere! I've got to make a phone call!"

Surprised, they watched him go. Together, they shouted "Who you gonna call, Professor?"

  


* * * * * * *

  


The five of them were back in the lab. The girls stared at Professor, not believing what he just told them.

"No way, Professor! Those guys aren't real!" Buttercup exclaimed.

"Professor, 'Ghostbusters' was just a movie!' Blossom said, confused.

"Yes, Blossom. It was a movie, but it was based on a true story."

"No!" Bubbles screamed, horrified. The pale blue tears fell from her eyes again, evaporating into nothingness. "I don't wanna get put in one of them little boxes! I never slimed anybody!"

"Calm down, dear. A lot of that was exaggerated for the movie. The writers thought the truth was too boring."

"Huh?" Blossom asked. "You mean there's no-"

"Nope. There's no such thing as ectoplasm. Ghosts are energy, just like I told you, Bubbles; they're not blobs of disgusting slime. There's no proton packs or ray guns."

"So, how do you know about these guys, Professor?" Buttercup asked.

"I knew them from college. They sold the movie rights to their story and used the money to continue their research. Although," he said, remembering with a smile, "Venkman wanted to move to Vegas and start a lounge act!"

"Venkman!" Blossom said. "That was one of them!"

"Yep. The movie used their real names. Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler. Pete was always more of a con man than a scientist. Lousy poker player, too." He pointed to the goggles on his face. "That's where I got these. Boy, was Egon mad!"

"Wow!" Bubbles was amazed.

"Tell us more, Professor!" Buttercup urged him.

"Egon developed these but never had a chance to find out if they worked. He's a brilliant scientist, but I always thought he wasted his talent. I guess I was wrong. Ray's pretty good, too. Peter was always the smooth talker. He never really believed in ghosts, in fact, never believed in much at all, except that you could make a buck off of those that fell for whatever you were pitching. Turned out that Egon and Ray were right, though, and Pete made them all a ton of money."

"How does it work, Professor?" Blossom inquired.

"Well, when Egon's theory proved true and he uncovered the science behind what ghosts are, he came up with a device to trap their energies and restore them to the bodies they came from. It worked. The hauntings ended and the tortured souls were able to find peace."

"YAY!" they shouted again.

"So, they're coming to fix Bubbles?" Blossom asked excitedly.

He sighed and sank lower in his chair. "No."

They were crestfallen, especially Bubbles. "Why?" she asked, in tears.

"You see, all of their work has been done with ghosts that were around for a long time. Once they identified the person that the spirit belonged to, they simply reversed the trapping process at the grave. It did what the spirit could never do on its own, reunited the two. That's what you tried to do, Bubbles. It doesn't work. I talked to Egon. I told him everything that happened. Unfortunately, they've never been successful in restoring the spirit of a recently deceased person to its body and bringing them back to life."

"Great. Just great!" Buttercup griped. "So what made you think YOU could do it, huh?"

"Because of my belief that you girls were different. You see, Bubbles, you aren't like any other ghost. Those ghosts can't go back to their living bodies, because they're long gone. But they CAN be reunited in the afterlife. Because you three are tied together, you have no place to go until you all go at once. So if you aren't restored to your body, you'll have to stay like this until your sisters join you. I meant to call Egon earlier to get some advice, but I forgot until you reminded me, Bubbles."

"So, now what, Professor?" Blossom wanted to know.

He stood up, a determined look on his face. "Girls, I haven't given up yet! Bubbles, come with me. I think if I can determine your exact frequency, I can still do it. We just have one problem, and that's how to preserve your body until I'm ready to give it a try."

They all looked over to see her small, pale form, still slumped peacefully in the beanbag chair. Buttercup floated over and sniffed.

"So far, so good. Hey Bubbles, except for your skin, you look like one of those giant stuffed dolls of us!"

She and Bubbles giggled. Blossom jumped out of her beanbag.

"That's it! Professor, I know how we're gonna keep her nice and fresh! Come on, Buttercup!"

Professor watched them fly off, wondering what Blossom had in mind. He turned and started to walk toward his desk.

"Come on, sweetie, let's get started."

He turned to see if she was coming, and just about jumped out of his skin. Bubbles' body was floating in front of him, slumped over. Bubbles' ghostly image was supporting it in the air, and she was laughing. He frowned.

"Don't scare me like that!"

  


**End of Chapter Five**


	6. 

**WEEKEND AT BUBBLES'**

  


A 'black comedy' by Gary Curtis (Icekings2000)

  
  


Powerpuff Girls created by Craig McCracken and all related characters owned by Cartoon Network

  
  
  
  


**CHAPTER SIX**

  
  


After making a quick stop at Townsville Hall to see the mayor, Blossom and Buttercup headed for Townsville's jail. Without telling him about Bubbles' 'problem', they convinced him of the importance of their request and he granted it. They didn't figure they'd have too much trouble. Anyone who was dense enough to give their arch-enemy Mojo Jojo a full pardon so he could baby-sit them was easy pickings.

Their target didn't get many visitors, and they were the LAST people he expected to see. He stared out at the two girls in a mixture of awe and fear.

"Hello, Lenny." Blossom said. Buttercup glowered at the former obsessive collector of Powerpuff Stuff, Lenny Baxter.

"Uh, h-hello, Blossom. L-look, girls, I'm all over that now, putting me in here was the best thing that ever happened to me!"

"That's okay, Lenny, we know that we're just so irresistible." Buttercup grinned.

"Knock it off, Buttercup!" Blossom told her. "Lenny, how would you like to get out of here? For good, I mean."

He rushed up to the bars, grabbed them and gaped. "You mean it? What's the catch?"

Blossom held up a piece of paper for him to read. "It's a full pardon, IF you help us!"

"If you don't, those bars won't stop me!" Buttercup said.

"Now Buttercup, there's no need to make threats!" Blossom chided her. "Lenny, all you have to do is use that packaging thing you used on us. We don't care how you did it, we won't even watch, we just want you to do it for us!"

He was immediately suspicious. "On what?"

"We need you to put a toy back in the package for us!"

Blossom had kept Buttercup in the dark about the plan and she cracked up when she heard this. Blossom elbowed her to shut her up. Lenny wasn't so amused. He went to his bunk and sat down.

"Forget it! No way am I gonna help you put something back in a package just to increase its value! I might have been a twisted geek with no life but I have morals!"

They were shocked. Blossom didn't have any other ideas and she didn't expect this. Her tears were not fake.

"Please, Lenny!"

Buttercup jumped in. "Lenny, it ain't to make money! It's a present for Bubbles an' we took it out of the package to make sure it worked! We can't give it to her like that!"

"Hmmmm. Okay, then. Does it work?"

They looked at each other, their eyes growing wide and their cheeks bulging to keep from laughing. It failed.

"Nope!"

  


* * * * * * *

  


They took Lenny to the storage locker where what few possessions he still had were kept, so he could get his secret 'tools of the trade'. His Powerpuff collection had been sold off to pay his legal bills and put a little aside to start a new life when he got out of jail. Then they flew him to their house to begin earning his pardon.

Lenny looked around the girls' bedroom nervously.

"Wait right here, Lenny, we'll be back with her in a second." Blossom said.

"Her?"

"Uh, she's so lifelike, it's hard calling her an 'it'!" was Buttercup's quick-witted save.

"Yeah, it's unbelievable how life-like she is." Blossom said.

"Ok. Just hurry up, being in here gives me the creeps!"

After they left he heard the two girls sputtering into mad laughter again from outside the room, and he shook his head.

"What the heck could they have found that's so unbelievably lifelike? I can't think of anything except...NO! IMPOSSIBLE!"

His hands began to shake in anticipation.

  


* * * * * * *

  


"Whoa, good one, Buttercup!" Blossom told her sister as they flew down to the lab to get their 'unbelievably lifelike' deceased sister.

"Yeah, we're gonna hafta watch what we say around people. This is so weird! I hope Professor figures out a way to fix her before school on Monday."

Blossom looked at her watch. It was almost two in the afternoon on Saturday, about six hours since Bubbles fried herself. They didn't have much time left and none at all if Lenny didn't come through.

"Buttercup, let's not even THINK about school!" she said as they entered the lab. "Professor will find something that'll work."

They saw Professor sitting forlornly at his desk. Bubbles was nestled in his arms, looking just as sad. They both looked up when the other two came in.

"Uh, oh." Blossom said. "Maybe not."

"It's no use, Girls. Her energy signature is all over the place. I can't get a good read on it. I did come up with something else, but when I call Egon, all I get is his answering machine, telling me that he had to go out of town unexpectedly."

"And he isn't comin' back!" Bubbles wailed. "I'm gonna hafta stay like this!"

"He's coming back, we just don't know when. But, the news isn't ALL bad. Show 'em, honey!" Professor said.

She floated away toward a big rectangular box made of clear plastic. Inside it sat an empty glass beaker. The chamber was sealed except for a hole in one end. Bubbles put her mouth up to the hole and screamed. The beaker shattered.

"All right! You got your sonic scream working again!" Buttercup shouted.

Bubbles beamed proudly. "An' Professor can hear me now! I been practicing!"

He smiled slightly. "Yep, I figured if she could make objects move, she could make sound waves move, too. She learned quickly."

"So now I can scare the pants offa Mojo the same time I'm beatin' the pants off him!" Suddenly her face crumpled and she flew back into his arms.

"But I don't wanna be a ghost any more!"

"You won't have to!" Blossom exclaimed. "Bubbles, we know how we can keep you until those guys get back! Professor, your idea can still work!"

He jumped up, forcing Bubbles to do the same. She floated, eagerly awaiting the news.

"What, Blossom? The only way to preserve her body is by freezing it. I'm afraid of what that might do."

"Professor, remember some guy named Lenny Baxter?" Blossom asked.

"What?" He snapped his fingers. "Of course, the packaging thingy!"

"Lenny's gonna put me inside a package again?" Bubbles asked in surprise.

"Yeah, Bubbles, he thinks you're a giant toy!" said Buttercup.

"Yippee!! Can I watch?"

"Better not, honey, now that anyone can hear you. Girls, we don't know how long this situation is going to last, so we'd better be prepared to let Townsville in on it. Blossom, you and Buttercup work with Lenny. Bubbles can help me. I'm going to try to make a few copies of these specs."

"Professor, is that such a good idea, letting everyone know?" Blossom inquired.

"We don't have much choice, dear. When Bubbles turns up missing for a few days, they'll start asking questions. Better to just get it over with."

"Oh, man." Buttercup groaned, pointing toward her sister's soon-to-be-packaged body. "If somebody was gonna make a movie outta this, they could call it 'Weekend at Bubbles'!"

  


* * * * * * *

  


Lenny paced nervously back and forth. Just being around all this real Powerpuff stuff was like an ex-smoker suddenly being tempted to take up the habit again.

"What's taking so long?!" he complained out loud, seconds before Blossom and Buttercup entered the room.

He watched, his eyes getting larger as they laid the focus of his task on the bed. He walked up to her, just staring. He squeezed the left arm, feeling the pale flesh. Without warning, he whirled around and startled the two Girls.

"You lied to me! Where did you GET this?"

"W-w-what do y-you mean?" Blossom asked nervously.

"You told me you took this out of the package to see if it worked! This was never IN a package, was it?"

His accusation paralyzed them. "WAS IT?!" he shouted.

"Uh, n-n-no." Blossom stammered.

"Thought you could put one over on me, didn't you? Well, I don't CARE where you got it! I never dreamed I'd ever even SEE one of these! The life-size 'Bed-wetting Action Bubbles' with realistic skin and growing hair never went into production! There was rumored to be only two prototypes and they gave up on it because of design problems. This has to be one of them. Do you have any idea just how valuable this is?"

"Yeah, actually, we do." Blossom said. "She means the world to us!"

When Lenny looked at them strangely, Buttercup quickly added "She means it would mean the world to us to give it to our sister. I just wish we hadn'ta played with it."

"Yeah, I was wondering about that." Lenny said. "These were supposed to come with a nightie, not a dress." He took a closer look and spotted the burn on Bubbles' left hand. He pointed to it. "And I think I know what happened. It wet itself and shorted out the wires in the legs, and fried the battery pack."

_"Actually, she got fried and THEN wet herself."_ Buttercup thought but didn't say.

"Yeah, that's what happened. Lucky Bubbles' real clothes fit." Blossom said. "So, can you put it in a package for us?"

"No problem. I think you're nuts to use this for a toy. I know guys who'd pay thousands to get their hands on it, even in this condition; but if that's what you want, it's your funeral."

For the third time that day, they went into hysterics. He had to throw them out of the room physically.

  


* * * * * * *

  


As they stood out in the hallway, Blossom and Buttercup watched as lights seemed to flash from under the door to their room. There were a few electronic 'zaps', and some more flashes.

"Lenny, are you almost done yet?" Buttercup called through the door.

"Yeah, in a minute!"

"Professor!" both girls yelled.

Bubbles was there almost instantly and they held up their hands to their mouths to shush her. Professor took a minute getting there.

"Remember, Bubbles, don't say nothin'!" Buttercup whispered.

The door opened and Lenny came out holding his handiwork. Her arms and legs were fastened to a cardboard backing with plastic loops and a clear plastic bubble covered her. The whole thing had been vacuum sealed and there was no trace of a seam anywhere.

Bubbles stared at herself through the plastic wrap, her paler-than pale blue eyes bugging out. Blossom and Buttercup appeared awestruck as well. Professor seemed somewhat impressed but wasn't going to give any rave reviews to the geek who had once imprisoned his daughters.

"Hmmm, not bad."

"Well there she is, folks, the ultra-rare 'Bed-wetting Action Bubbles.' Lenny announced.

Bubbles was not pleased but remembered to keep quiet. Instead, she bonked Lenny once on the head. He looked around, startled, but everyone just grinned.

"Uh, anyway, Professor, if you really intend to repair this, the battery pack is here, the whole thing is probably gonna need rewiring and I don't know what to do about the bleached-out skin. Looks like it was out in the sun. But I still say leave it alone."

"Can't do that, Lenny. We don't care about collector value, nothing but the best for our Bubbles, right Girls?"

All three nodded their heads, though Lenny saw only two.

"When I get through with her, she'll be a real living doll!"

Lenny watched the three of them cracking up and swore he could hear Bubbles laughing, too. He wanted to escape this nuthouse ASAP.

Blossom said "Thanks, Lenny! Everything's all fixed with the Mayor, so you're a free man!"

"Can the Girls drop you somewhere, Lenny?"

"Yeah. Take me back to jail, I feel safer there! You people are all crazy!"

  


**End of Chapter Six**


	7. 

**WEEKEND AT BUBBLES'**

  


A 'black comedy' by Gary Curtis (Icekings2000)

  
  


Powerpuff Girls created by Craig McCracken and all related characters owned by Cartoon Network

  
  
  
  
  
  


**CHAPTER SEVEN**

  
  


For the next several hours, the Powerpuffs helped Professor work on making some more of the special specs. He found some technical info on the internet that helped in figuring out how to reverse-engineer the pair he had (remember that these things were close to 20 years old and Egon Spengler's early work was all over the web by now). Once he had the design where he wanted it, Bubbles bent the frames into shape. He worked on the delicate tiny electronics that connected to each earpiece and Blossom and Buttercup used the formula to make the lenses. Buttercup heated the ingredients to make the glass and poured it into the molds, Blossom cooled it with her ice-breath, and that helped to really speed things up. Using their eye-lasers, they ground the lenses to the measurements Professor gave them. When they had enough of everything to make about thirty pairs, he showed them how to put it all together. While they did that, he got busy making lenses and the electronics to convert his video recorder into one that could see Bubbles. Blossom remembered they needed to make a special monocle lens for the mayor, so they did that, too.

They worked like dogs until six. Professor said. "That's enough to get us started. We can always make more if we need to. Now, who's hungry?"

"I'm starved!" Buttercup said.

"We've been so busy we didn't eat all day!" Blossom added.

They looked at each other.

"Eeeewwwwww!"

They took off for the kitchen. Bubbles went with them and Professor gave chase, wondering what this was all about. When he got there he saw them staring at the unfinished breakfast that was all still sitting there.

"Ah, so what. Can we go get something, Professor?" Buttercup asked. "We'll clean this up later."

He pulled out his wallet and handed her some bills. "Anything you want, I'm not fussy. Just make sure you get me two of whatever it is!"

"Whadda you want, Bubbles?" Blossom asked.

"I'm not hungry. 'Sides, I don't think I can eat, anyway."

"Hmmmmm." Professor said. "Didn't think about that. Ghosts don't need to eat food. But you probably could, if you wanted to."

"In that case, I want a chili dog with extra hot peppers!"

"Bubbles!" Blossom admonished her. "That stuff always goes right through you!"

"I'm countin' on it!"

  


* * * * * * *

  


While her sisters were out getting their dinner, the hotline rang. If they didn't pick up after three rings, the Powerpuff Signal went off in the sky over the city. Bubbles instinctively grabbed for the phone, and now she was on her own. Her sisters wouldn't know about the call.

"Powerpuff Girls!"

"Oh, Bubbles! This is the Mayor! Mojo Jojo is robbing the jewelry store again!"

"What? On a Saturday night? Why that....I'm on it, Mayor!"

Professor jumped. "No, Bubbles, wait for your sisters!"

"I can't, Professor, Townsville's in trouble!"

Her voice trailed off as she disappeared through the wall. He shouted after her, hoping if she didn't hear his warning she'd remember to keep her mouth shut.

  


* * * * * * *

  


When Bubbles arrived downtown, she saw there was no time to waste. Three police cars were already blown up and Mojo was laughing and aiming his laser at another one while holding his ill-gotten goods in his other hand. He started to make his escape, so she sailed at him and kicked the gun out of his hand. It landed many yards away in the street. There wasn't time for her to notice the surprise on the faces of the officers hiding behind their cars, or the growing crowd of citizen onlookers. Using all of her channeled energy, she hurled herself into Mojo's body and he flew fifty feet into a brick wall. Then, while using his own hands to beat himself about the head and face, she taunted him, whispering in his ears.

"Hey, Mojo! Over here! No, not there you stupid monkey, here!"

His head turned crazily in all directions, trying to understand why he couldn't see the Powerpuff that was royally kicking his butt. He screamed his protests, much to the shock and amazement of everyone but the ghostly 'Puff.

She was having so much fun she almost didn't notice the Powerpuff Signal high in the sky above the street. Her sisters were on the way, and the police were starting to move in. She let Mojo fall to the ground and took off to hide behind a building and watch the fun.

  


* * * * * * *

  


Blossom and Buttercup were at Big Bob's Burger Barn waiting for their order when they heard a collective "Look!" They did and saw the signal through the window. The place was busy and everyone would go home with their own version of how THEY had been the ones to alert the Powerpuff Girls to the crime in progress.

"We'll be back!" Blossom yelled to the workers behind the counter.

"Nobody better touch my fries, either!" Buttercup warned before they went to see what it was.

When they arrived downtown, they were amazed by the scene. Outside the jewelers, there were a dozen police cars, lights flashing. Three more police cruisers were overturned and burning, holes blown in their sides from what looked like a laser. Cops were pushing back the growing crowd of gawkers who had formed a large circle. Standing right in the center were two officers, supporting a handcuffed and very much trashed Mojo Jojo. The monkey mumbled incoherently through swollen lips as the cops dragged him toward the rear of the paddy wagon that was just backing in through the wave of people who parted to let it through.

As they landed in the center of the circle of people they saw Mojo's laser weapon lying on the ground off to one side. Another officer was looking down at it, taking notes in a small notebook. Gemstones were scattered everywhere and the cops were making sure nobody in the crowd tried to grab a few souvenirs. With the Powerpuffs now on the scene, there wasn't much chance of that happening and everyone relaxed somewhat. Nobody could believe or had any idea of what they had just seen.

Blossom and Buttercup knew. They looked at each other. "Bubbles!"

She was nowhere to be seen, so they approached Officer Notebook. He looked up.

"Oh, Powerpuff Girls! You ain't gonna believe this!"

"What happened here, Officer?" Blossom began. "We saw the signal, but we're obviously too late."

"Yeah, nice job, guys!" Buttercup lied.

"Well, we arrived on the scene to find the perpetrator just leaving the jewelry store. We ordered him to drop his weapon and surrender. He said, and I quote:"

The cop looked at his pad. "Nah, nah nah nah,...Hmmmm, there should be one more 'nah' in there..."

He took a second to scribble it down. "There. 'Nah, nah nah nah, nah! Which means that my weapon is superior to yours and therefore it is better than the ones you have and I do not have to drop it.' Then he blew up three of our cruisers and attempted to abscond with the illegally stolen property."

"You mean there's LEGALLY stolen property?" Buttercup asked.

"Sure is, kid. Whaddaya think taxes are?"

"Never mind that!" Blossom yelled. "Just tell us what happened!"

"Okay, now here's where things get strange. He ran and all of a sudden he threw his laser over there, and then he jumped in the air and threw himself into that brick wall right there!" The officer pointed to the spots he was referring to. "Then, he grabbed himself by the collar, picked himself up off the ground and started clobbering himself with his own hands!"

"Wow!" Blossom leaned and whispered to her sister. "That was pretty smart, making it look like he did it to himself!"

The paddy wagon had pulled away and the two cops who cuffed Mojo were now coming up behind the girls.

"Never saw nuthin' like it!" one of them said.

"Was Mojo saying anything?" Blossom turned and asked.

"Yeah, he was tellin' himself to stop it." the second added.

The first finished. "Yeah, he just went crazy! He started laughing hysterically and said somethin' about your sister. Hey, where IS Bubbles, anyway?"

"She's home, sleeping." Buttercup said.

"That's strange!" said the cop. "The Mayor said SHE answered the phone! And when this all started happening and you didn't show up, that's when the signal went out."

"Hmmm. She must have answered the hotline and went back to sleep." Blossom fibbed.

"Yeah, I bet when we get home she's dead to the world." Buttercup said.

Officer Notebook looked around at his officers holding the crowd back, wondering what the two Powerpuffs thought was so funny.

"All right folks, show's over! Nothin' more to see here!"

"Oh, no!" one man shouted. "We ain't leavin' 'til we know why Mojo did that!"

"Hey, maybe he's got 'Mad Monkey' disease!" someone else in the crowd yelled.

People started to push and shove, panicking.

"Uh, oh, Blossom, we better do something!" Buttercup whispered.

"Yeah, and I know what!" Blossom grinned. "Let's move!"

She flew up about ten feet and hovered over the crowd. Buttercup followed her lead. Blossom held out her arms.

"Citizens of Townsville! There's no need to panic! Mad Monkey disease is not contagious! I repeat, it is NOT contagious!"

"Yeah!" Buttercup ad-libbed. "Only stupid evil monkeys get it. It makes 'em see and hear things that aren't there!"

"Really?" one of the cops asked.

"Is it serious?" someone in the crowd yelled.

Blossom lied some more, hoping it would be on the news in time for Mojo to see it.

"Nah, it only lasts about 24 hours but it can come back at any time if the victim doesn't control their antisocial behavior!"

Officer Notebook took charge once again. "You hear that? Nothin' to worry about, you can all safely return to your homes. Thanks a lot, Girls!

"Bye!" they called out as they headed to get their dinner.

"I love it!" Buttercup said as they flew. "When Mojo finds out it WAS Bubbles, he'll wish there really WAS a Mad Monkey disease!"

Blossom grinned at her. "Oh, but there is! He's had it since day one!"

"Hi Girls!"

"Aaauuugggghhhhhhhhhhh!" Blossom and Buttercup screamed, turning to see their sister who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Bubbles! Don't do that!" Blossom yelled, then remembered where she was and looked around to see if anyone heard her. They were too high up, but she whispered anyway. "Don't scare us like that!"

"I didn't mean to! I just forget! Did you see me beatin' up Mojo?"

"No, Bubbles, I wish we had. That must've looked so funny, seein' him kick his own butt!" Buttercup laughed as they began flying once more toward Big Bob's.

"Yeah, and he must be thinking he's lost his mind! Wait 'til he finds out tommorow that it really was you, Bubbles!" Blossom said.

"Oh no!" Bubbles cried. "What if Townsville is ascared of me when we tell 'em? I don't want everybody to be ascared of me!"

"Don't worry, Bubbles!" Blossom told her. "If we do this right, it's only the bad guys who'll have a reason to be afraid!"

  


**End of Chapter Seven**


	8. 

**WEEKEND AT BUBBLES'**

  


A 'black comedy' by Gary Curtis (Icekings2000)

  
  


Powerpuff Girls created by Craig McCracken and all related characters owned by Cartoon Network

  
  
  
  
  
  


**CHAPTER EIGHT**

  
  


Sunday morning dawned bright and beautiful, but there wasn't time to enjoy it. There was a very difficult thing that had to be done, and that was to tell the mayor about Bubbles' 'problem'. If not done right, this one rather simple-minded little person could send the city into a panic. The only way to approach it was to go through the mayor's assistant, Ms. Sara Bellum.

Being a Sunday and Townsville Hall being closed except for emergencies, Professor gave her a call at her home. Without telling her exactly what it was, he convinced her of the seriousness of the situation and soon the girls were in the car and they were all on their way out to Ms. Bellum's house.

As they pulled into the long, steep driveway of the sprawling ranch-style home on Yodelinda Way, Blossom tried to calm Bubbles' anxiety.

"Don't worry, Bubbles, Ms. Bellum will get Mayor to understand."

To herself, she thought, _"If SHE can't, NOBODY can!"_

"Right, Professor?" she added.

"Yep, that Ms. Bellum is one persuasive lady!"

_"Must be."_ he thought, taking in the house and grounds. _"How else does a public servant afford a spread like this?"_

He parked the car and they got out and went up to the door. Professor carried a small zippered bag with a handle; inside were a few pairs of the glasses they'd built.

"Now Girls, let me do the talking, all right?"

They were surprised to see Sara dressed in her customary red business suit and heels on a Sunday, but then again, she would be prepared to head straight for Townsville Hall in the case of an emergency. She welcomed them in and offered Professor coffee and Blossom and Buttercup cocoa.

They politely declined, but Bubbles licked her lips at the thought. She was really going to miss food if Professor couldn't fix her. That chili dog the night before had no flavor at all, even though she chewed it real good. It made a big mess on the floor under her because everything just fell straight down. Her sisters made HER clean it up, too; so there would be no cocoa for her.

Sara got her guests seated and asked the obvious question. "Professor, if there is something wrong with Bubbles, how could you possibly leave her all alone at home?"

"We didn't, Ms. Bellum." He unzipped the bag, took out a pair of specs and handed them to Sara.

She put them on, and there sat Bubbles, on the couch between her sisters. The child smiled brightly and waved, "Hi, Ms. Bellum!"

"Oh, THERE you are!" She thought it a bit strange that Bubbles wouldn't have changed out of her nightgown before leaving the house. The Powerpuff also had a strange transparency about her, too; but that was probably a result of the Professor's new technology to make the Girls invisible. Wait a second, WHAT new technology?

"Professor, THIS is a PROBLEM?! Why, if you can make the Girls invisible, just think of how much more effective they can be in fighting crime!"

Then it dawned on her. "Or is the problem that you don't know how to make her visible again?"

Buttercup jumped up. "Yes! That's the problem!"

She saw her sisters grinning at her and knew what they were thinking. _"Why didn't we think of this before?"_ But she didn't see Professor frowning at her.

"Buttercup, what did I tell you!" The Girls flinched.

He looked at Sara. "No, Ms. Bellum, that's a really good lie, but that's not the problem."

He saw them look at him in surprise. "I'm sorry, Girls, honesty is the best policy. Sara, yesterday morning, we had a little accident at the house. A combination of things led to Bubbles' electrocuting herself and you're looking at her ghost right now."

Sara saw Bubbles shrug her shoulders as if to say, "Yup, it's true." She couldn't get the goggles off her face fast enough.

  


* * * * * * *

  


Even after Professor explained the scientific reasoning behind it, Sara still refused to believe it and was becoming angry at being the butt of such a cruel joke. Finally, Bubbles just got up and floated through the wall of the living room and outside.

"There, Ms. Bellum, NOW d'ya believe it?" Buttercup frowned.

"Ms. Bellum, Bubbles beat up Mojo all by herself last night before we got there." Blossom said.

Sara started to respond that it was beginning to make sense, impossible as it was, but her doorbell rang, cutting her off.

"It's Bubbles." Buttercup said.

"It's probably the paperboy collecting. If it's Bubbles, why doesn't she come back through the wall?" Sara got up to answer the door.

"Because only one of her can!" Blossom explained.

Bellum opened the door and froze. The little ghost was holding a Bubbles doll in a package; it was as big as she was. Seeing that was just too much for her overloaded synapses. She fainted.

  


* * * * * * *

  


Revived and calmed down, she listened to the story about Lenny Baxter. She agreed with them that Townsville needed to know, since no one knew how long Bubbles would have to stay like this. Maybe forever. They'd get used to the idea eventually.

"Professor, the camera was a great idea. We'll give the glasses to crowd control. Don't worry about Mayor, I'll work on him."

"What are you gonna do, Ms. Bellum?" Blossom asked.

"Never mind, Blossom, Ms. Bellum and I can work out the arrangements. I want you three to go home and get some rest."

"Awwwwwww!" they whined.

"Go on. You didn't get much sleep last night."

"I didn't get ANY sleep last night." Bubbles said. "I don't hafta sleep!"

Professor frowned at her. "Oh? And just what DID you do all night long all by yourself, hmmmm?"

"I went to visit Mojo in jail!" She giggled, remembering. "They hadda come an' put a strait jacket on him!"

  


**End of Chapter Eight**


	9. 

**WEEKEND AT BUBBLES'**

  


A 'black comedy' by Gary Curtis (Icekings2000)

  
  


Powerpuff Girls created by Craig McCracken and all related characters owned by Cartoon Network

  
  
  
  


**CHAPTER NINE**

  
  


In exchange for their sworn secrecy, Channel Five News anchor Stanley Whitfield and a film crew were promised the scoop of their careers. That was all it took. Promise a reporter a scoop and they'll do anything you say. Sara Bellum told Whitfield to show up at the Utonium residence at 2 P.M. She also told them to leave their equipment home.

When they arrived, they were met at the door by Professor Utonium, who ushered the reporter and his crew of four to the Danger Room. They were all immediately excited. This was indeed a scoop; the news media had never been allowed to see the Powerpuff Girls' training facility. But they didn't understand why they couldn't use their own equipment. Professor had set up a regular old video recorder on a tripod. The thing looked like the lens had been modified somehow. One of the technicians smelled something fishy.

"Hey, what's with THIS thing? Our stuff is a hundred times better! You pulling a fast one here?"

Buttercup wasn't all that fond of the press. They got in her way sometimes when the Girls were trying to clean things up after a fight so they could go home.

"You want the story or don'tcha?"

Blossom and Professor both shushed her. Whitfield was not just a talking head on TV, he was a good reporter and noticed that Bubbles was missing. He also knew that the trainer displayed simulations, and he mentioned this.

Professor assured them that what they were about to see was indeed real, except for the simulated battle that they would be allowed to film. They wouldn't be allowed to show any of the control room or describe how it worked. Then he handed the five media people each a pair of the goggles.

They put them on and it was a good thing they didn't bring their own equipment or a good deal of it would have been ruined when they dropped it.

"Hi, everybody!" Bubbles said as she smiled at them.

Whitfield pulled his specs off. "What?!"

He thought the same thing Sara had, the 'new technology' thing. He and his crew stood in stunned silence as Professor related the story, stopping several times to tell the three giggling Powerpuffs to be quiet. They were shown the packaged 'Puff and told how that came about. Then he showed them how the camera would allow Bubbles to be seen. Whitfield and the lighting girl readied themselves and one of the techs went out to the truck. Another tech hastily put together a filming sequence and gave the Girls directions on where to stand or float when not actually in their staged battle on the holodeck. The third got himself used to the camera, and Professor went to the control room and did a final check of the programming.

At 2:57 P.M. that Sunday afternoon, viewers tuned into Channel Five had their program interrupted by a live 'Breaking News' bulletin. News anchor Stanley Whitfield appeared standing in front of the Powerpuff's residence, and a crowd could be seen assembling outside the house.

"This is Stanley Whitfield reporting live from the home of Professor Utonium and the Powerpuff Girls..."

From the TV room at Townsville Correctional Facility, a large collective groan was heard. The inmates' lives were constantly being ruined by the Powerpuffs.

Whitfield continued, "...where we have confirmed that Powerpuff Girl Bubbles is dead..."

A huge cheer went up from nearly all the inmates as anything they could get their hands on was thrown to the ceiling in celebration. The guards blinked, not believing what they just heard, watching Whitfield on the screen walking toward the front door of the house, looking back toward the camera. They were so stunned they forgot to slide the barrels of their pump-action shotguns.

"…she died when she was electrocuted yesterday morning, here in her home…"

The cheering got even louder. Two inmates didn't join in. Mojo Jojo's eyes blinked as he sat in a chair, still wrapped tightly in a strait jacket. In a corner, a chill ran down Lenny Baxter's spine.

"But fear not, Townsville…for we are about to go inside and watch, live for the first time, as Bubbles trains with her sisters for her new career as a crime fighting ghost."

All eyes turned to the screen to watch the amazing story unfold. Mojo stared intently, trying to learn whatever he could. When he saw what they had done to Bubbles' body, his lips turned upward in a grin. Suddenly, there was a loud thud and everyone turned to see Lenny passed out on the floor. They looked back to the screen to see Bubbles the ghost mugging for the camera.

"BOO!" the inmates shouted, throwing things at the TV. The guards were still in shock. Some of them turned to look at Mojo, remembering what he'd sworn had happened the night before.

"You see? I told you I am not crazy! Now let me out of this thing!"

  


* * * * * * *

  


All over Townsville, the word spread. People called friends and family and told them to 'turn on Channel Five, NOW!' Everyone excitedly looked forward to the party to be held at 6 P.M. on the steps of Townsville Hall, where they would get to 'see' Bubbles in 'person', thanks to some huge video screens that were going to be set up. Maybe a lucky few would even get to put on a pair of those weird glasses.

  


* * * * * * *

  


At Morbucks Manor, Princess was on the floor in front of the television, throwing a tantrum.

"IT'S NOT FAIR!!! Those stinkin' Powerpuff Girls get to do EVERYTHING!!! I wanna fly through walls and be invisible! I WANNA BE A GHOST TOOOOO!!!"

Daddy Morbucks clenched and unclenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he looked down at the screaming little brat. Suddenly his face broke into a grin as he thought to himself, _"Now THERE'S an idea! And it won't cost me a red cent!"_

His hands reached out toward her scrawny little neck, then stopped.

_"Nah, she's got to learn she can't have everything."_

  


* * * * * * *

  


In the mayor's office, Sara Bellum turned off the TV.

"Mayor, do you understand what we just saw?"

Mayor sat behind his desk twiddling his thumbs. "Just one little thing, Ms. Bellum. Is Bubbles REALLY a ghost or is this just some trick?"

"No, Mayor, it's not a trick. Do you know what this means?"

"Why, of course I do, you silly woman! It means now I know why she always beats me at 'Chutes and Ladders'!" He pounded on his desk. "That little cheater!"

Sara put her head in her hands, slumped her shoulders and sighed.

"_Oh, why do I even bother?!_"

  


**End of Chapter Nine**


	10. 

**WEEKEND AT BUBBLES'**

  


A 'black comedy' by Gary Curtis (Icekings2000)

  
  


Powerpuff Girls created by Craig McCracken and all related characters owned by Cartoon Network

  
  
  
  


**CHAPTER TEN**

  
  


Professor's idea had done the trick. Seeing proof that Bubbles could really go right through solid objects along with seeing her plastic-entombed body made everyone who saw it believers. Seeing it on television erased the fear and panic that would have resulted from a sudden revelation in a public setting like at Townsville Hall. Now, everyone was pumped to see their new ghost superhero.

Well, not everyone. Some of Townsville's criminal element who weren't incarcerated at the moment had been watching TV when the news hit. The problem was, they only stuck around long enough to hear that one of the Powerpuffs had met with a spell of extreme bad luck. It was their lucky day, though, and they intended to make the most of it. They would have a much better chance of escaping justice against only two Powerpuffs, who were probably grieving and in no condition to fight. So, they hit the streets to begin their crime spree without knowing 'the rest of the story'. They would be in for some extreme fun very soon. Only, just not for them.

After they all said goodbye to Whitfield and the film crew, Professor told the Girls to just take it easy while he tried calling Egon Spengler again. They went to their room and lounged around, talking about what the party might be like. Bubbles had an idea and her sisters both liked it a lot. Blossom picked up the phone and called the mayor's office and asked for Ms. Bellum. A minute later, she told her sisters that their friend would come through for them and get what they needed. They were still giggling about it when Professor burst into the room.

"Girls!"

They all sat up, but Bubbles got a very strange look on her face and floated off the bed.

"Bubbles, what is it?!" her sisters shouted.

"They're baaaaaaaack!"

"Who's back?! Poltergeists?!" Their heads whipped around as they fearfully looked for whatever spirits Bubbles was seeing. Professor leaned against the doorway, a small grin on his face.

"No, you dummies!" Bubbles laughed. "Them guys that are gonna help me, right Professor?"

"Yes, Bubbles. Egon just got back to New York and he was watching the news when I called. He thinks he's got just the thing, only it'll take him a few days to build it. All the things he needs are there."

All of them were ecstatic but Bubbles most of all. She flew happily into his arms.

"If you can put up with being a ghost for another week, this'll all be over."

"Yay!" they shouted. Buttercup added, "Professor, you comin' downtown with us?"

He looked at his watch and saw it was already after four.

"I'd better not, Girls; there's some things I need to do here. You three just go and have a good ti-."

"Bzzzt! Bzzzt! Bzzzt!"

  


* * * * * * *

  


Forty-five minutes later, the streets of Townsville were clean once more. Blossom stayed in constant communication with the mayor's office with the wrist Hotline phone she hadn't bothered to wear the night before, when she went out to pick up their dinner. She and Buttercup distracted the surprised criminals who figured they woudn't show, and Bubbles did the rest. All she had to do was just fly past and scoop them up. When her arms were full, they made a quick trip to jail, where the warden and guards had been alerted. Stunned prisoners mumbled to themselves as they were locked up and were teased and insulted by those in the adjoining cells who already knew the story from watching it on TV.

"Ha ha, you dorks! Imagine, bein' put in jail by a stiff!"

Several passes through the city was all it took, leaving the thugs dazed and confused and the rescued citizens shouting out "Thanks, Bubbles!"

Bubbles was having the time of her life...er...well, you know. But there was a very good chance that that would last a lot longer than just another week.

  


* * * * * * *

  


The girls flew back home with little time to get ready for the party. They went to see Professor in the lab. He had let the Channel Five folks take his camera with them so they could do the hooking up needed for the crowd to see Bubbles, but now he gave the Girls the other pairs of glasses to give to Sara, Mayor and others who would need them. Bubbles picked her body up and they said goodbye. 

"Hey, where are you going with that?" he said.

"That?" Blossom and Buttercup inquired, eyebrows raised.

"Sorry! Bubbles, I don't think it's a good idea to take yourself downtown. We can't have anything happen to you before Egon gets here. You'll be safer here."

"Oh, Professor! Nothin's gonna happen!" Buttercup grouched.

"Yeah! We're the Powerpuff Girls!" said Bubbles. "'Sides, everybody wants to see me an' everybody can't 'cause we don't have enough glasses so not everybody'll be able to see me so this way everybody'll be able to see even though they can't an'-"

"All right, all right! Just be careful! I want the three...er, four of you coming home safe and sound!"

He told them one more time to have fun. They went to their room and got a few things together so they could carry out Bubbles' idea, and they flew off to Townsville Hall.

  


* * * * * * *

  


It was nearly six P.M. at Townsville Jail and the TV room was so packed with those who wanted to watch the televised party that was about to start that another room had to be set up. Extra guards with shotguns stood around. This put a drain on security elsewhere in the jail, but many of the cells were empty, their occupants all in the two rooms. Two inmates were conspicuously absent but everyone understood why Mojo Jojo wouldn't want to be there. Nobody could understand what was wrong all of a sudden with Lenny, who was in his cell, mumbling to himself, wearing the strait jacket that Mojo had worn earlier.

"I touched dead people!"

In Block B, a guard walked through the quiet corridor between cells. As he neared Mojo Jojo's cell, he saw the monkey's shadow on the wall and teased him about coming down to watch the show. As he stepped in front of the cell he froze. He grabbed for his radio.

"Get me some help down here in 'B', NOW! Mojo's hung himself!"

  


* * * * * * *

  


All guards carry knives just for this reason, and Mojo was quickly cut down. The guard felt a pulse and the medics that came got the evil monkey out of there in a hurry. The warden stood outside the cell and took what might be a clue from one of the five guards who had checked out the cell. It was a crumpled piece of paper.

"Could be a suicide note." the guard said.

The warden unfolded it and started reading while the guard looked over his shoulder.

"I, Mojo Jojo, no longer wish to exist in this place if I can be defeated by a Powerpuff Girl even AFTER she has been destroyed. Therefore, I will exist OUTSIDE of this place! Muahahahahaha!!!!"

The guard looked at the warden. "Hey, you don't think by 'outside of this place' he means-"

Alarms going off all over answered THAT question.

  


**End of Chapter Ten**


	11. 

**WEEKEND AT BUBBLES'**

  


A 'black comedy' by Gary Curtis (Icekings2000)

  
  


Powerpuff Girls created by Craig McCracken and all related characters owned by Cartoon Network

  
  
  
  
  
  


**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

  
  


The crowd at Townsville Hall was in a festive mood, and their excitement was increasing as rapidly as their numbers. They filled the area around the steps of the building, where a stage had been erected. On either side of the stage, two huge video screens had been set up so the crowd could see Bubbles via the camera. Two more screens were placed some distance away from the stage to accomodate the massive numbers that were expected. The rear of the stage was covered so no one could see what was going on back there, and it led directly into the building. Surrounding the stage, both on it and at ground level, were security people, off-duty police officers; all wearing the special eyewear.

At that moment, the Girls were inside the mayor's office with Mayor and Sara, and were almost ready to come out. The crowd wouldn't know if Bubbles was onstage or backstage until the camera crew was given the green light from Channel Five's producer, who was overseeing that portion of the show. By previous agreement, they would provide the video and audio feed to a crew from Cable News Corp., who had rushed to Townsville as soon as the news hit. CNC would broadcast the event worldwide as it happened.

It had taken awhile, but between the three of them and Sara, they had finally gotten Mayor with the program. He had stopped referring to Bubbles' body as 'the toy', and it had finally sunk in that Bubbles had not been a ghost yet when she beat him at games. He apologized for calling her a cheater after Buttercup suggested that his pickle jar might mysteriously disappear one night and never be seen again.

"Are we ready to roll, Girls?" Sara prompted them. It was a few minutes after six and she didn't need a restless crowd, given the situation.

"Did you get the karaoke machine?" Blossom asked.

"It's out there."

"Oh goody!" Bubbles couldn't wait. She bobbed up and down.

Buttercup was already starting to jive to the music she was hearing in her head. "Let's do it!"

The Girls floated, Blossom carrying Bubbles' body, out of the office and out toward the entrance. Mayor and Sara followed. The security guards became alert as a voice in their radio headsets told them their charges were on the way out. Moments later, the five were on the stage and got a huge cheer when they passed through the curtain, leaving 'the toy' backstage for the time being. The crowd had no idea Bubbles was floating there looking around and thought she was just waiting backstage for her moment. The CNC crew went about their business onstage practically unnoticed, and the producer watched for a cue from Sara to begin rolling the video. They weren't going to turn the camera on until Mayor had made an announcement and Bubbles had been formally introduced. There was an unexpected delay. Bubbles saw something she didn't like.

The Gangreen Gang had seen this huge gathering as the perfect opportunity to do a little pick-pocketing. If you knew what you were doing, the poor sap never even knew he'd been cleaned out. The Gang's leader, Ace, figured all the attention would be on the stage and they'd never be noticed. They had been as amazed as everyone else when they found out about Bubbles and weren't too keen on the idea of going up against her, but they weren't expecting any trouble tonight. Just a few bumps here and jostles there, and it was splitsville for them. Back to the dump to count the loot.

Little Arturo was the best. He stood unnoticed at hip-pocket level, and while distracting anyone watching by combing his hair with 'Maria', which looked exactly like a switchblade, his other hand expertly separated wallets from their owners' pockets. Snake slithered his narrow body back and forth through tight spots and managed to reach into a few ladies' purses on the way. Ace and Big Billy worked as a team. Billy would bump his huge body into someone, knocking them right into Ace's arms. Billy would mumble a clumsy apology to the victim and that person would apologize to Ace, who had just picked them clean. Grubber was basically useless but was good to have around. People wanted to get away from him and someone who was moving and jittery was less likely to feel their valuables saying 'bye-bye'.

Bubbles had seen Big Billy first, and then Ace, and was instantly on guard. She floated away from the stage to get a closer look.

"Bubbles! Get back here!" Blossom hissed through her teeth.

Bubbles floated back. "The Gangreen Gang's out there, Blossom, an' I think they might be doin' somethin' bad! I wanna go see!

"They are? Let's git 'em!" Buttercup said, putting on her fighting face.

"No, wait!" Blossom said, seeing some of the security team looking up at them.

Sara stepped forward. "Something wrong, Girls?" 

"Maybe, Ms. Bellum. Bubbles, go out there and look but keep quiet! If you see something, come back here! Don't do nothin' on your own!"

"Bubbles, we don't want to panic the crowd. Somebody could get hurt." Sara warned. Bubbles nodded and floated out above the crowd. She went to where she had seen Big Billy. There he was, and there was Ace. She moved in closely and saw Ace's hand come away with a wallet. She dashed back to the stage, waving her arms excitedly. The guards knew something was up and tensed.

"Girls! They're pocking people's pickets! I mean, they're peeking pickles-, oh, they're STEALING!"

Blossom turned and told Sara, "It's the Gangreen Gang!"

The head of security, who was on the stage, said something into his headset and some of his crew started moving.

"Let's go, Blossom!" Buttercup urged.

"No, let security handle it."

Buttercup thought to herself, _The heck with this! I want to see some action!_

Microphones had been clipped to everyone's collar except Bubbles', naturally. When it was time for her to come forward, they had a cordless mike to hand her. Buttercup checked hers.

"This thing on?"

A wave of feedback rolled through the sound system, but it was quickly squelched by the guy manning the sound board.

"Buttercup..." Blossom warned.

Buttercup saw that the crowd was getting as restless as she was and ignored her sister. "Hey Townsville!"

A cheer went up. She waved it down. "Yeah, yeah. Hey everybody, we're not ready to turn on the cameras yet, but how'd you like to see Bubbles in action?"

Bubbles looked back toward the stage, shocked. An even bigger cheer went up. She didn't know what to do, now. She looked back to see if she could still spot any of the Gang. She couldn't. She looked back to the stage for guidance.

"See, Blossom, they're cool with it. Right?" Buttercup grinned out at the people.

They roared back their approval. Blossom wasn't too happy with her headstrong sister, but turned her mike on.

"Nail 'em, Bubbles!" 

An even bigger roar went up, though nobody knew who she was going to nail, except one person.

"Uh, oh, Billy! Time to amscray!" Ace told his partner. He looked around for his mates. "Let's find the guys and get outta here!"

Bubbles soared over the crowd, looking. Townsville wasn't afraid of her! The thought made her so happy, she sang out, "Hellooooooo, Townsville! I hope nobody's ascared of me, 'cause I'm not gonna hurt anybody...'cept the GANGREEN GANG!!!"

She saw dozens of hands pointing suddenly, and in seconds she knew where all five of them were.

On stage, the producer spat into his headset, "Cut the connection to the screens and start rolling, NOW! I WANT THIS!"

All over the world, people were about to see something amazing. The crowd would see the same thing, minus Bubbles. Now, she zeroed in on Ace. _"Take out the head!"_ Blossom always told her.

_"Hmmmm,"_ she thought. _"If I beat him up, he might drop some of the money and then somebody else might get it who's not s'posed to. I guess I'll just catch 'em."_

They knew it was coming, but they screamed anyway when she grabbed them one by one and lifted them into the sky. Those in the crowd who were standing right next to each gang member got a jolt when they saw him jump suddenly, but relaxed and cheered along with everyone else.

Her sisters were enjoying themselves. "Go, Bubbles!" they shouted. It was going to be a great party.

  


**End of Chapter Eleven**


	12. 

**WEEKEND AT BUBBLES'**

  


A 'black comedy' by Gary Curtis (Icekings2000)

  
  


Powerpuff Girls created by Craig McCracken and all related characters owned by Cartoon Network

  
  
  
  
  
  


**CHAPTER TWELVE**

  
  


News of Mojo's escape from jail reached the Townsville Police with a collective 'So what?'. It happened all the time. Now, if Mojo went a week WITHOUT escaping from jail, that WOULD be news.

Looking for him wasn't on the top of anyone's priority list, either. He'd commit a crime, oh, in the next twenty-four hours or so, the Powerpuff Girls would catch him and put him back in jail, he'd get out again, yadda, yadda, yadda. Just another quiet Sunday at police headquarters.

Where was he going to go, anyway? Back to his lair, probably, so they'd send a couple cars to stake the place out. Mojo would NEVER head for Townsville Hall. It was crawling with cops and the Powerpuff Girls were there, too. Nah, that was the last place he'd go. Of greater concern to the desk sergeant was the fact that the donut shop down the block had run out of Bavarian Creme again.

  


* * * * * * *

  


Where WAS he going to go? Mojo knew that the police would probably be watching his lair. That's where all his weapons were and that's where he'd have to go to get one. His revenge against that little brat who tormented him into thinking that he was going crazy would come, oh yes it would, but it would have to be done without the use of a weapon. He smiled. Who needed weapons when you were an evil genius? They made life much easier, of course, but you could do nicely without them. No, he would need nothing more than his bare hands. And the prison guard's uniform that he had snuck out with him.

  


* * * * * * *

  


The camera was hooked back into the screens again, ready for the show to begin. Blossom and Buttercup stood on either side of Mayor as he spoke, Sara stood behind her boss and Bubbles was backstage awaiting her moment. She was ready, holding the mike that Blossom had given her. The crowd finally got to see the other thing they had come for, the Bubbles they all knew, sealed in her cardboard-and-plastic tomb. She stood propped against the closed curtain. Mayor was making a long, rambling speech that started out about Bubbles and her sisters and how they would always be protecting Townsville no matter what, but it quickly spun out of control and off-topic. The crowd was getting restless again. Both Girls looked pleadingly to Sara to put an end to it. She stepped forward and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Mayor, that was a wonderful speech!"

The crowd cheered; not the speech, but its end.

"Now how about we let the Girls say a few words before Bubbles comes out?" Sara said.

Mayor answered, "Alrighty, but first I'd like to ask everyone to join me in a moment of silence." He took off his hat.

"What for, Mayor?" Blossom asked, surprised. "This isn't a funeral, it's a party!"

He fiddled with his left ear. "I need to adjust my hearing aid. You kids and your loud music!"

That got a big laugh out of everyone, and then Sara turned the show over to the Girls. That was the cue to begin the feed to the TV screens. Blossom went to the karaoke machine and punched a few buttons. A nice reggae beat came out of the speakers, something to loosen everybody up. Buttercup needed loosening, she was wound tight as a drum.

"All right! Let's get down!" she yelled, and got a roar and a sudden display of lit cigarette lighters.

Blossom took charge. "Townsville! Are...you...ready?!!"

The music changed to a steady rock beat, drums pounding, pumping up the crowd. Another loud roar was the reply.

"OK! But before Bubbles comes out, we just wanna say, don't get used to seein' her like this, 'cause in a few days she'll be back to her old self again!"

Channel Five's scoop hadn't said a word about the possibility of bringing her back because they weren't told; at that point Professor hadn't heard from Spengler and they didn't want to get everyone's hopes up. This was news to everyone. The crowd went wild.

"Now, Townsville!" The music became more intense, raising the excitement level. "We won't waste any more time, 'cause tomorrow we got school. So here she is folks...your Powerpuff Ghoul!!"

On cue, Bubbles came tearing out through the part in the curtain and flew excitedly over the crowd. She waved and smiled and everyone smiled back and cheered and pumped their fists and waved their lighters and their homemade signs and called out to her thousands of different sentiments that no one could hear above the noise. They couldn't see her above them, only on the video screens; but they knew she was there and she knew she was loved. She began to cry ghostly tears of joy, but then she heard the music change again and it was time for her to get back on the stage with her sisters.

The karaoke machine began to play, minus the words, Ray Parker Jr's 'Ghostbusters' theme. This was it, Bubbles' idea, and the sisters were pumped. The crowd screamed its approval on the first notes, and watched the screens. Bubbles stood between Blossom to her right and Buttercup to her left, and they began to dance to the music. Mayor and Sara stood in the background; Sara tapping her foot but Mayor was a dancin' fool.

Buttercup took the first verse. "When a bad guy comes...to steal your car...who you gonna call?"

"GHOST BUBBLES!!!" the crowd roared.

She continued, swaying to the beat. "The dork might run...but he won't get far! Who you gonna call?"

"GHOST BUBBLES!!!"

The Girls danced happily to the music and at the right moment, spun around on their heels, just like they planned it.

Blossom took over. "If Mojo tries...to rob the bank...who you gonna call?"

"GHOST BUBBLES!!!"

"He'll think he got...hit by a tank! Who you gonna call?"

"GHOST BUBBLES!!!"

Bubbles couldn't contain herself. She launched herself out over the crowd again, and at the right time they pumped their fists and shouted, "WE AIN'T AFRAID O' NO GHOST!!"

The Girls couldn't remember when they'd ever had more fun. Bubbles was back between her sisters when it was time to sing her verse.

"So if you're bad...an' rotten an' mean...you're gonna take a fall!" 

"GHOST BUBBLES!!!"

"I'll never lose...'cause I can't be seen! Who you gonna call?"

"GHOST BUBBLES!!!"

She had one more verse to do and it was the one she was really looking forward to, but the crowd had to have its second shot at their reply. She waited for the music...here it came...

"I AIN'T AFRAID OF NO GHOST! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

The music screeched to a stop and the karaoke machine skidded along the stage and flew off the edge and crashed into pieces. No one had seen Mojo, dressed in the guard's uniform, sneaking from backstage. The Mayor jumped into Ms. Bellums arms. The crowd gasped along with the Girls, as they whirled to face their enemy. He was wearing a pair of the goggles, so he could see Bubbles just fine; where he got them from nobody knew, or cared at that moment. The Powerpuffs' instinct to lunge was stopped by what they saw: The evil primate was holding 'the toy'.

"Put me down, you, you...YOU!!" Bubbles screamed at him.

"Uh, hey, Mojerk, in case nobody told ya', she's already dead, so what do you think YOU'RE gonna do?" Buttercup smirked.

"Why even bother, Mojo?" Blossom said. "You know you're gettin' your butt kicked no matter what!"

"Oh, that is right, I have forgotten, since you are still able to go on defeating me even when you are, how should I say this, breathing challenged? Well, Powerpuff Girls, I may never have the satisfaction of destroying you accursed females once and for all, but I will find it very satisfying indeed to prevent you, Bubbles, from ever again breathing the same air as I, Mojo Jojo!"

The Girls leaped at him but it was too late. He laughed maniacally as he ripped open the plastic covering. The crowd had gone completely silent by this time and the sickening 'whoosh' of the vacuum being broken could be heard by everyone.

Mojo held her up to his nose and inhaled. "Ahhhhh! Don't you just love that new car smell?"

Buttercup and Bubbles were on him, screaming and pounding him unmercifully. He didn't care, he laughed at the pain, and at theirs. Blossom got the package away from him, but the horror of it hit her and she sagged to her knees. Ms. Bellum rushed to her aid and helped her to stand. She saw the security men who had moved in to cuff Mojo struggling to pry her sisters off of him. They weren't having any luck. Especially with Bubbles; police training didn't teach how to manhandle a ghost. Blossom came to her senses and ordered them off. She had to scream at them a second time, and Buttercup stepped away, a glassy look in her eyes. Bubbles took one look at herself in the torn-open package.

"WAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

She disappeared, not looking back. Sara told Blossom everything would be all right and for her to get Buttercup home. She nodded, and told the crowd she was sorry for their party being ruined. She put one arm around Bubbles' body and the other around Buttercup and lifted off to catch up with Bubbles.

The camera had caught it all. While they were dragging Mojo away, he yelled out after the Powerpuffs.

"Oh by the way, your little friend Lenny has decided to retire from the packaging business! Muahahahahaha!!!!!"

  


**End of Chapter Twelve**


	13. 

**WEEKEND AT BUBBLES'**

  


A 'black comedy' by Gary Curtis (Icekings2000)

  
  


Powerpuff Girls created by Craig McCracken and all related characters owned by Cartoon Network

  
  
  
  
  
  


**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

  
  


As shocked and horrified as Professor was to see what had just happened on the TV in the lab, he knew he couldn't waste any time. He didn't know what Mojo meant regarding Lenny so he called the jail. He was happy to hear that the evil chimp hadn't done anything to Baxter, as he feared, but the news that he was in no condition to help them was a disaster. Bubbles might hold out for a day or so in the refrigerator, but never until Spengler could make it. They were out of luck.

He wasn't angry with the Girls. When he had worried about something possibly happening with Bubbles' body, he was thinking about them getting careless, like kids often did, not this. He knew they had to be devastated, especially poor Bubbles.

_"What am I going to tell them?"_ he thought._"I need to get them calmed down first before I do anything else."_

  


* * * * * * *

  


Blossom flew as fast as she could and yelled for Bubbles to wait up. Buttercup was still in a daze and Blossom was worried about both of them. Professor was right, they never should have taken her down there. Bubbles slowed down, seeing Blossom struggling, and took herself from her sister. She stopped crying when she saw Buttercup's eyes.

"Blossom! What's wrong with her? Buttercup! Say something!"

Buttercup turned her head slightly to see where the sound was coming from. "Oh...Bubbles...we blew it..."

She snapped out of it in an instant. "WE BLEW IT! That stupid Mojerk!..."

Her face a mask of anger, she tried to squirm free and fly back toward downtown, but her sisters held her.

"No, Buttercup, we gotta get Bubbles home!" Blossom cried. "But you're right. We shoulda left you home, Bubbles."

"I know!" she whined. "Professor's gonna be really mad!"

They were nearly home now.

"Oh, man, I don't wanna go in there!" Buttercup said.

"I'm really sorry, Bubbles, it's mostly my fault." Blossom admitted. "I was thinkin' about havin' fun instead of doing what was best for you." 

"No, Blossom, it's OK. We're in this together."

"Yep." said Buttercup. "Together forever, no matter what."

They touched hands, then landed and went inside to face Professor, together.

  


* * * * * * *

  


They quietly opened the door to the lab, knowing they'd find him there.

"Professor?" Bubbles called.

"Down here, Girls!"

"Hey, he doesn't SOUND mad!" Buttercup said. "Come on!"

They held one another's hands as they floated up to him, sitting at his desk. He didn't exactly look happy, either.

"We're sorry!" they said, looking down.

He sighed, "Me too, Girls. Egon was our best shot." Then he jumped up. "But I've taught you to never give up, and neither will I. I just don't have any more bright ideas, that's all."

Blossom spoke up, "Professor, what exactly were you and he planning?"

He pointed at the conversion grid. "Well, Blossom, my original idea was to use THAT to feed Bubbles' energy back into her body through the house wiring. Egon thought it would work if we could generate enough power. That's what he's working on, or was. I wonder if he saw the news yet..."

"Professor, how would you put ME in THERE?" Bubbles asked in wonder. Her sisters looked just as amazed.

"Well, Egon was going to convert one of his traps into a kind of supercharger and greatly increase your energy level; then we would wire it into the grid, plug your body in, so to speak, sort of like what you did yesterday morning, and hope for the best."

"Hey Professor, aren't traps for something that doesn't WANNA get caught?" Buttercup asked.

"Hey, yeah! I WANNA get caught!" Bubbles giggled. "Can't I just fly inside one of those batteries?" she asked, pointing at one.

"Hmmm. I imagine you could at that, Bubbles. We didn't think about that, but the problem is, we don't have enough power. The electricity alone won't do it, we only need that to get it started. The power has to come from you and you aren't strong enough. That's what we needed the supercharger for."

"Oh." Her shoulders sagged and she looked about ready to cry again.

Blossom stood deep in thought, trying to remember something about energy. Bubbles face suddenly became angry.

"That mean 'ol monkey! He gets me so mad sometimes that I could 'splode!"

"Bubbles! That's IT!!" Blossom shouted. "Professor, remember what she did yesterday when she got mad in the Danger Room?"

She meant when Bubbles had suddenly tripled in size, her energy expanding right through the walls.

His eyes got huge. "Blossom, as unscientific as that sounds, it might just work! Bubbles! You know how I've always told you 'Don't get mad, get even?'"

"Uh huh."

"Forget it just this once!"

Her sisters stood back and watched in awe as Bubbles' ghostly face eerily reflected the memory of every bad thing Mojo Jojo had ever done to her, her family and her friends. Within seconds, she began to expand until she filled the laboratory, and her energy was a physical presence that could be felt.

"Now, Bubbles!" Professor told her.

She whooshed toward the last battery on the right. It was only about half the size of her earthly form, and though she was flowing into it, it appeared as if the battery was sucking her inside. Then, she was gone.

"Whoa! That was AWESOME!!" Buttercup gasped. "Do ya think it'll really work?"

"It better, and FAST!" Blossom exclaimed. "LOOK!!"

The entire grid began shaking. The power level indicator on the battery Bubbles was in was all the way into the red 'danger' zone.

"Girls! Go get her plugged in, and HURRY!"

They zipped out of the lab. He shut down the connections for all the other energy cells and made sure the 'outflow' switch was in the 'open' position. The shaking got worse and he hoped they got Bubbles hooked up in time or he might be joining her.

Blossom grabbed her from where they'd set her down, outside the lab door, and headed to their bathroom.

"Buttercup, hurry up and find something we can use and meet me upstairs!"

She arrived there only to see Buttercup waiting with a grin on her face. She was already letting the sink fill up with water.

"My curling iron! You did that on purpose!"

But she knew there wasn't any time to waste. She pulled the rest of the packaging away and leaned Bubbles against the sink while Buttercup plugged the iron in and wrapped it around Bubbles' left hand. They readied themselves to clear out, and Buttercup dropped Bubbles' hand into the water.

"ZZZZZZZZZZAAAAAPPPPP!!!!!"

  


* * * * * * *

  


He took the stairs two at a time, racing out of the lab and up to the Girls' room. As he rounded the corner, he heard a loud crash and saw Bubbles flying right toward him from the hole she made in the wall. He feared the worst, thinking that it hadn't worked. Her hair was all frizzed out but her eyes were still shut and he was afraid that his little girl's ghost had been scattered to the four winds. Then the blue eyes opened and they were the most beautiful blue he'd ever seen. Her face was filled with joy as she reached him and knocked him down.

"PROFESSOR!!!!" Oh, Professor, it worked!! I'm me again!!"

He'd have been ecstatic if she hadn't knocked the wind out of him. He sat up, dazed, but she didn't notice. She was too excited.

"Yippeeeee!!! Girls!! I'm alive again!!"

They should have been out there by now. "Girls? Blossom? Buttercup? PROFESSOR!!!"

"Huh...wha?"

"Professor, what if they got turned inta ghosts too?!"

That woke him up. _"Oh, no, please, not them, too!"_

He ran, following Bubbles into their room, and saw smoke wafting out of the bathroom. Bubbles shrieked. He ran inside and saw his other two girls stretched out on their backs, their hair sticking out. Their eyes were closed. Blossom's hairbow had landed in the sink. He immediately knelt beside Blossom to check for a pulse and Bubbles did the same with Buttercup.

"BOOOO!!!!"

Professor and Bubbles tripped over each other as they tried to get away, then glared at the two 'Puffs who were holding each other, laughing, with tears pouring from their eyes.

"That was mean!" Bubbles exclaimed.

"Hey, it's only fair after what you put us through!" Blossom chuckled.

"Yeah! Now YOU know what it was like for US!" Buttercup grinned.

Bubbles stuck out her tongue. "But you don't know what it was like for me! Nyah!"

"Now, Bubbles, don't tease your sisters. You got to do some pretty cool things that they didn't."

"That's OK, Professor," Blossom smiled. "I'd rather have plain old superpowers than supernatural ones any day!" 

They all had a good laugh, but then Professor looked at his watch. It was almost seven-thirty on a Sunday evening.

"Well, Girls, it's certainly been some weekend. But tomorrow's a school day, so I'll whip us up something to eat and then it's into bed for you three. You should really do something about your hair while you're waiting."

They looked at each other and made faces.

"I'll do it in the morning." Buttercup said. "It'll only get messed up again." 

Blossom pointed at her ruined curling iron, still plugged in and dangling. "I'll have to manage with my brush and comb for now."

Bubbles' voice was full of wonder. "Oh, Blossom! You gave up your curling iron for ME?".

Blossom pouted, "No, Buttercup did!"

Buttercup shrugged, "Hey, what're sisters for?"

  
  


**EPILOGUE**

  
  


While Professor was making dinner, he called New York and spoke to Peter Venkman. They had all seen the events as they happened. Egon Spengler was working harder than ever to get his 'supercharger' ready, just in case, and Professor gave Venkman the good news with a request to keep it under wraps. They talked for a few minutes more, with Venkman telling him that Baxter's secret technology could raise their business to new heights. They were coming out anyway, and couldn't wait to meet the Girls. Ray especially wanted to find out anything Bubbles could tell him. When Professor hung up the phone, he called the Girls down to eat.

They talked over the dinner table and it was decided that the news of Bubbles' 'rebirth', as it were, would be kept a secret until morning. Professor would call Sara right after they ate and let her know. It was only fair, for she had been the one most responsible for keeping Townsville from panicking, and she was also the reason why the folks from Channel Five and CNC hadn't already pounded their door down to get Bubbles' reaction to Mojo's little stunt. They also thought it would be a good idea to keep HOW Bubbles came back a complete secret. The less anyone knew, the better, should anything like this ever happen again. Letting everyone see her body had been necessary to let the truth sink in, but it was also what gave Mojo Jojo his evil scheme.

Bubbles was thinking about the dastardly deed even as Professor told them it was time to go to bed. She had other plans.

"But Professor, I'm not sleepy! I slept for two whole days!"

"Hmmmm, yes. But you still have to go to bed or you'll be falling asleep in school."

"Can't I do one little thing first, Professor?"

"What?"

"Get even with Mojo Jojo!"

"Absolutely not!" He'd let her if she gave a good enough reason. He sat back and got out of the way, smiling to himself. He loved watching his Girls engage in their spirited discussions.

"Bubbles, he's already in jail! What more do you want to do?" Blossom asked.

"I say go for it, Bubbles!" Buttercup enthused. "I'll help!"

"Buttercup, we can't just beat somebody up when they haven't committed a crime, other than breaking out of jail, but he ALWAYS does that!" Blossom said. "We'll have to check, that might not even be a crime anymore...."

"Who needs a reason?" was the answer her green-eyed sister gave.

Bubbles crossed her arms indignantly. "He did too commit a crime!"

Blossom giggled, "What, opening a toy without paying for it first?"

Bubbles harrumphed. "How 'bout 'Depraved indifference to human afterlife', huh?"

She smiled proudly when, after they all stopped laughing, Blossom said, "Hey Bubbles, we should see about getting that one made into a REAL law. You never know when we might need it!"

"So, Bubbles," Professor said, "what kind of punishment did you have in mind?"

"Yeah, Bubbles, won't just finding out you're alive again be enough?" Blossom asked.

"Nope! I wanna see his face when I go down there and bust into his cell and get in his face and..."

" And what, Bubbles?!" Buttercup shouted. "Don't keep me hanging!"

"And breathe the same air he is! Muahahahahaha!!!!"

  
  


**THE END**

  
  


AUTHOR'S NOTES: I learned after getting about a third of the way into writing this story that my original title 'The Trouble With Bubbles' would also be the title of an upcoming DC Powerpuff Girls comic, so it was changed to first 'Weekend at Utonium's' and then, thanks to Rich (Cuteswan) Wilson, to 'Weekend at Bubbles'. I got the idea for this one from remembering a movie I saw many years ago with my late sister Gail ( I was too young at the time to 'get' it, but I remember that all she did was laugh). It was Alfred Hitchcock's 1955 black comedy 'The Trouble With Harry', and had to do with a corpse being dragged everywhere. The 1989 film 'Weekend At Bernie's' took that concept and reworked it. The other film references are a bit more obvious, they being 'Ghostbusters', 'Ghost' and 'Poltergeist'.

Hope you got some laughs out of it!

Gary Curtis-April, 2001


End file.
